The Missionary Review of the World — January 1893
OUR WORLD. I
MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VOL. XVI. No.1.-0ld 8eries.–JANUARY.–VOL. VI. No. 1.-New &riu.
OUR WORLD.
BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
A GENERAL GLANCE AT SOME GREAT FACTS.
Facts are first forms of truth. In all solid and substantial structures they are the base-blocks. To ascertain them, classify and arrange them, and then utilize them are the triumphs of the scientist, the sage, and the seer.
There are certain great facts pertaining to our world and its inhabitants which we need to master. They so seriously affect our work and our success that to know them and to have them at command are of the first importance. Some of these we seek hero to collate and compare, aiming at comprehensiveness and accuracy, and hinting the lines along which investigation should be <,arried on, and additions constantly made.
I. OUR EARTH. -The dimensions of our globe are familiar-its circumference of about 25,000 miles, its diameter of about 8000, its surface of 200,000,000 square miles, of which three fourths represent water. Europe, inclusive of the British Isles, has an area of 3,600,000 square miles, with a coast-line of 20,000 miles; Asia, an area of 17,000,000 square miles, with a coast-line of 40,000 miles; Africa, an area of 11,500,000 square miles, with a coast-hne of 16,000 miles. To North America belongs an area of 8,000,000, and to South America an area of 6,800,000 square miles, while the united coast-line of these twin continents cannot fall much short of 30,000 miles on the Atlantic frontier alone. Australia, the island continent, has an area of 3,000,000 square miles; and the estimated area of the ;polar regions is over 3,000,000 square miles. The islands of the sea embrace about one hundredth part of the land area, or 550,000 square miles. If, then, Australia represents the unit of measurement, Europe has a fraction more area, South America twice as much, North America more than two and a half times as much, Africa nearly four times, and Asia nearly six times as great area.
The river systems are immense. They represent a total length of over 125,000 miles, or five times the circumference of the earth. The navigable waters of the Mississippi and tributaries reach 40,000 miles; the Nile, over 5000; the Amazon, 3750; the Yenisei, 3400; the Volga, 2400. The Americas claim over 65,000 miles of river system; Asia, 33,000 ; and Africa and Europe each 15,000, but Africa has probably much more.
II. OUR RAcE.-'l'he earth's population can be stated only approxi- mately, as the data are incomplete. The most carefuUy compiled statistics are probably those of E. G. Ravenstein, and those given in ., Die Bevolke- . rung der Erde," according to which the total population runs from 1,467,920,000 to 1,479,729,000. These figures approach so close to 1,500,000,000 that for all practical purposes this round number may be safely and conveniently used for the totality of the human race at this date. Of this number, Asia has about 840,000,000; Europe, 360,000,000 j Africa, 170,000,000; North America, 90,000,000; South America, 35,000,000 j and Australasia and other islalli~ systems, 5,000,000 j or, if we divide the population into 150 parts, Asia has 84 ; Europe, 36 ; Africa, 17 j North America, 9 ; South America, three and one half parts, and the islands of the sea, one half part.
Ravenstein reckons the increase from 1880-90 at 6 per cent in Asia j 8.7 per cen~ in Europe; 10 per cent in Africa; ] 5 per cent in South America; 20 per cent in North America, and 30 per cent in Australasia. These figures are startling in significance. While Asia has the bulk of the race, the lowest rate of increase is there; and in America and Australia, where the least numbers have been found, the rate of increase is so much more rapid that an actual transfer is taking place from Europe and Asia to the New World.
At least 3065 languages and dialects are already known to prevail. The Bible has been translated into about 260 of them. The sexes are almost equally divided, with a slight preponderance i~ favor of the males. As to color, the extremes of white and black are as 5 to 3 ; the other seven fifteenths are intermediate brown and tawny.
As to density of population, China leads, with from 200 to 400 to the square mile j next come Great Britain, India, Western and Southern Europe, and the Eastern States of North America with from 50 to 200 ; Africa, Russia, and the bulk of the United States bring up the rear with from 10 to 100 to the square mile. Asia will probably average 60, and Europe 100 to the square mile.
As to clothing and housing, about otle third of the race are well clad, about half partly clad, and one sixth practically naked. Curiously enough, about the same proportion holds as to dwellings ; the best clad being the best housed, and the practically nude being practically houseless.
III. OUR THRoNEs.-The governments of the world fall into four convenient classes: despotisms, or unlimited monarchies; kingdoms, or constitutional monarchies; republics, and petty soveff~ignties ruled over by chiefs. Russia is an example of despotic rule,. the whole legislative, executive, Ilnd judicial power being practically united in the Czar, whose will is law. The sultanate, the Empire of Morocco and of Turkey are absolute sovereignties, unrestricted by laws, civil or religious, and with authority unlimited. Of constitutional monarchies, Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Belgium, Denmark, and of late Japan, furnish examples. Of republics, the ITnited States, France, Argentine Republic, Brazil, etc. ; of petty sovereignties, irregular and tribal governments, Africa is a most conspicuous example, divided among almost countless chiefs; and where a traveller may meet a new language with every sixty miles of advance, and about as many new rulers.
It is a most noteworthy fact that precisely according to the progress of the race in civilization do despotic power and arbitrary force yield to government by the people and for the people. .
IV. OUR FAITHs.-The best presentation of the religious systems of the world is probably that of the Church Missionary Society, which givps to the heathen faith 874,000,000 adherents; to Mohammedans, 173,- 000,000; to the Roman Catholics, 195,000,000; to the Greek Church, 85,000,000; to the Jews, 8,000,000; and to Protestant communities, 135,000,000. This would make over one half the race heathen; one in about 180 a Jew; one in 18 a Greek; one in 9 a Mohammedan; one in 8 a Romanist, and one in 10 or 11 a Protestant. Protestant church-members, however, do not number over 40,000,000 ; all who fall into no other class being reckoned as in Protestant communities-a very unsafe and unsatisfactory mode of classification when we are estimating the available force of the Church. More than 1,000,00(1,000 human 1.Jeings are without even a nominal Christianity; and though about 450,000,000 are reckoned as nominally Christian-or nearly one third of the race-less than one tenth of these actually belong to the evangelical churches.
It ought to be noted, also, that Mohammedanism has more in common with Christianity than any other false faith. It accepts the bulk of the Old Testament, admits many of the patriarchs and prophets, and even Jesus among saints and seers, while affirming the supremacy of Mohammed; is the foe of idolatry, and maintains the unity of the Godhead as against polytheism. Its very approaches to Christianity have, ho~ever, been its secret of resistance. The Mussulman claims that his faith embraces all that is worth retaining in the religion of Christ, and, in all else, is an advance upon it. And thus far the territory of Islam is almost untouched by Christian missions. The Greek Church stands midway between Protestantism and Romanism, with decided leanings toward the doctrine and practice of the Vatican. Romanism, especially in South America, is but one remove from paganism; though in some parts of the world, especially in the United States, it approaches very closely to Protestantism in intelligence and pure morality.
There is a vast gulf between heathenism and paganism, so called, both names being very inadequate. The faiths of Confucianists, Brahmanists, and Buddhists are immeasurably above the fetich worship of Africa, among some (If whose tribes the very conception of God seems to have almost died out. But nowhere among men have any yet been found who have absolutely no form of religion or worship, or conception of Ii deity.
V. OUR AGE.-There has been no such an epoch of general progress since the world began. Such books as McKenzie's" Nineteenth Century," Routledge's" Inventions and Discoveries of the Century," etc., give some conception of the immense strides of modern civilization. to which the advance of all past ages seems like snail's pace. We seem to stand at the culmen or apex of material and social progress. During the past ninetytwo years, since the century began, the movement onward and forward has been incredible. Mr. Gladstone is credited with saying that during the first fifty years of this century the race made more progress than during all the preceding centuries j that in the next quarter century the advance was greater than during the previous half century j and that during the next decade it was even more rapid than during the twenty-five years before. If this be true, then the ten years between 1875-85 were marked by a material advance so marvellous that it puts at a distance the progress of the five thousand years preceding-or, in other words, the rate of onward march was five hundred times as rapid !
A glance at the inventions and discoveries of the nineteenth century, or even the latter half of it, will astound any student of history. At n) period has the race touched such a golden age of intelligence and social improvement. These ninety golden years are each of them centuries measured by achievement. They are the age of the railway and steamship j of electricity as a motor, messenger, illuminator j of the telegraph and telephone and photograph and phonograph j of the ocean cable, the signal service j of the perfected microscope and telescope, and the more marvellous spectroscope and spectral analysis j of aniline dyes, of petroleum and all its compounds j of the steam printing-press, the typewriter, the sewing-machine j of the discovery of forty new metals, and the revolution of chemical science j of the tirth of geology, of anIBsthetics, and a score of new' sciences and arts. The world is now one neighborhood, and no nations are any longer distant or inaccessible. This is the age of world-wide exploration, occupation, communication, association, civilization, organization j the age of the postal union and cheap postage, of newspapers and magazines and cheap books j of free schools and universities; of machine work displacing hand work j of universal opportunity and consequent responsibility. It is the age of giant enterprises and giant explosives, when nothing seems impossible to men, and when we seem to be on the verge of a new era, when the air will be traversed, as the sea is now navigated, by vessels built for mastery not of waves, but of winds!
Could moral and spiritual progress but keep pace with material and ,;ocial advance, it is impossible to foresee or foretell to what millennial mountain heights of glory and of bliss, of purity and power the 'race might come hefore the now opening year should close j and as to the dawn of the new century, not even the most enthusiastic seer could give us the faintest foreshadowing of the possible grandeur of the future of mankind!
In studying our age, it is of the highest importance to appreciate the time factor in human history-the fitness and the fulness of the times. But one fit time and but one full time ever comes to any man or to the race. Then, if ever, the door must be entered j then, if ever, the work must be done. Delay means disaster, and sometimes destruction. If the work for which God gives us the season-the seasonable hour-is not then wrought, it can in most cases never be done j or, if at all, only out of season and at disadvantage, amid unfavorable conditions.
VI. OUR FOEs.-No careful, 'calculating man will stop with the more hopeful vision of progress. Humanity never had to face foes more numerous nor more deadly. If this is the promised lanEl. and age, the giant sons of Anak are in the midst of us with their walled cities and chariots of iron. In presence of some of them we feel ourselves to be as grasshoppers, so insignificant and impotent have even Christian nations proven in coping with these colossal, destructive forces of society.
Dr. G. W. Samson has mentioned four forms of intoxication and idolatry: those of the imaginative, nervous, generative, and acquisitive centres and powers of man's being; and the" strong drink" on which these respectively debauch themselves are the theatre and the novel for the imagination j alcohol and opium and tobacco for the nerves j lust and sensuality for the generative system, and greed and Mammon for the faculty of acquisition.
Perhaps the most formidable foe of human health and happiness is the d1'ink habit. Whatever may be said to vindicate or extenuate the use of intoxicants, the awful fact remains that the main cause of disease and death, of vice and crime, of poverty and misery, of vagrancy and lunacy, is RUM! The natural tendency of the use of all forms of spirituous liquors is toward abuse. "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. " In the United States alone the total consumption of distilled spirits, wines, and malt liquors is 900,000,000 gallons annually, or nearly fifteen gallons per capita. In Great Britain and Ireland the annual expenditure is still worse. In the United States it is about $900,000,000 (£180,000,000) a year, and growing, for a population of 66,000,.000. But in Great Britain, for less than 40,000,000 PQople, it was, in 1891, over $706,000,000 (£140,000,000), and for beer alone over $390,000,000 (£78,000,000). "Enough spent for beer to provide the country with two navies and armies, and with the civil service thrown in," says the London Times " "enough to pay the interest on the national debt for three years j or, if funded for nine years, to pay the whole debt and leave no more annuities or interest to pay."
Judges and magistrates affirm that at least seven tenths of all crime and acts of violence are traceable to the use of strong drink. One philanthropist quaintly says that in nine cases out of ten murder finds its secret in two words-formed by spelling murder backward. The total abstinence pledge adopted by every intelligent human being to-da~ would give us, a generation hence, a world free from its principal curse.
Next to drink, and strangely allied to it as a destructive foe of man, comes lust. Gross or refined sensuality in Protean forms stalks everywhere, the moral pestilence of the darkness, and in some parts boldly walks at noonday. Legalized prostitution in Roman Catholic countries, and to some f'xtent in Protestant communities, puts the sanction of law and license abou~ sexual sins, and undertakes to secure immunity, if not impunity, to that vice which God has signalled out for condign judgments in the bodies of the transgressors. Secret and systematic indulgence in sexual sins hides under the veil of domestic privacy and even of marriage, and corrupts the very springs of personal virtue and family purity. Children come into the world with the awful marks of physical and moral leprosy, or are criminally disposed of before birth by nameless and shameless practices which the pen refuses to record on these pages. A few years ago even in Christian England facts were coming to the front involving those in high life-facts so awful and alarming that their full exposure was never permitted. And in America a system of wholesale procuring of victims for illicit practices was, five years ago, unearthed, that would have disgraced the annals of Pompeii or Sodom. When a distinguished social philosopher of Oxford made a catalogue of dominant social sins threatening the destruction of the race, he placed first in the list a form of vice to which Paul refers in Romans (1 : 27), and which, though too shocking to allow description, is openly practised in the baths of Constantinople and throughout the Orient, and is not unknown in the heart of New York City.
These may suffice as two examples of our foes, whose name is legion. To mention greed is enough-that practical and insatiate lust of gain which makes the worshipper like unto his idol (Ps. 115 : 8). The man who is the victim of avarice comes to have a metallic ring, is changed into a coin, and drops into his grave with a chink. If the lust of sensual pleasure begets putrefaction, the lust of gain brings petrifaction j the miser is a hard man, of a. stony nature, and comes to love nothing but the golden calf. The opposite vice to this is extravagance-a lavish, careless, godless expenditure, scarce less hurtful than hoarding miserliness. And these are days of extravagance scarce equalled in the- days when suppers in Rome cost a fortune, when Nero tickled his throat with a foather to make way f(r a new gluttony, or Cleopatra dissolved costly pearls for her drink.
Our ri.sks are even more inclusive than our viceB and open sins. Our pride of numbers, our dependence on the patronage of the wealthy and socially great j our dependence on occasional appeals and impulsive responses for benevolent work and funds j the prevalent disposition to work by proxy. and shift individual responsibility j organizations, with the perils they involve; autocracy and virtual despotism, resulting from lodging undue responsibility with a few j the growth of frivolity and the habit of
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ONE OF PREPARATION
pleasure-seeking, with the consequent decay of earnestness of character; avarice, appetite, and ambition as controlling influences in the lives even of many of the better class; fashion and fashionable slavery; perilous social amusements, such as the dance, the card-table, the theatre, the horse-race, the gambling-table-these are a few of our foes and risks. And we have said nothing of ecclesiasticism and sacerdotalism and a worldly or secular type of church-membership, on the one hand, and infidelity and irreligion, on the other j a nominal Christianity and a defiant atheism; of the aristocracy of culture and the plutocracy of wealth; of the caste lines in society; of the monopolies in trade, and the perpetual war between labor and capital. And who shall measure the gulf which yawns beneath our feet in the desperate designs of the socialist, communist, and nihilist!
Here, for lack of space, we arrest this paper, leaving to a future issue to discuss further and no less important matters which affect our world and race and age-our history, responsibility, destiny. But surely this is the golden age of opportunity. The ends of the world stand looking with august interest to see what the true followers of God will do to uplift humanity, to repel and defeat its foes, purify its faiths, displace its false thrones, and usher in a greater age of peace and purity and power!
(To be continued.) THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ONE OF PREPARATION.* BY REV. JOSIAH STRONG, D.D.
We are entering on a new era of which the twentieth century will be the beginning, and for which the nineteenth century has been a preparation.
Though many of the achievements of the past century have been unequalled in the world's history, they generally suggest not finality or completeness, but rather beginnings. Many and great as have been the changes of this century, there is reason to expect that those of the next will be even more and greater. It is not proposed to call on the imagination to anticipate them. This ·work is not speculative. It does, however, attempt to trace some of the general lines of development in the past, to note their present trend, and, within certain limits, to project them into the future. It is quite true, as Lowell remarks, that "the course of events is apt to show itself humorously careless of the reputation of prophets." But surely one may study discerningly the signs of the times, which are only I the shadows of coming events cast before, without attempting the prophetic role.
If eventt"l were simply strung tOi!ether in orderly fashion on the thread of time, like beads on a string, without any relation of cause and effect, * See Editorial Notes. there could be no signs of the times; but because to-morrow is folded within to-day, because human nature and its developmt:nt are under laws which remain constant from age to age, because, as Carlyle says, "The centuries are all lineal children of one another," and bound by the law of heredity like other offspring, it becomes possible, in measure, to forecast coming events, to draw from the study of past experiences and present conditions reasonable inferences concerning the future.
Let us glance hastily at some of the more significant ehanges which have taken place during the past century and note their meaning.
1. Changes which may be called physical. There is nothing more fundamental touching the circumstances which affect all human beings than time and space. They condition all human activities and relationships, and hence to change them is to affect all human activities and relationships. This is the reason that steam and electricity have had fIlO profound an influence on modern civilization. They have materially changed t.hese two great factors that enter into all lives. It is as if the earth had been, in two or three generations, reduced to a much smaller scale and set spinning on its axis at a far greater speed. As a result, men have been brought into much closer relations and the world's rate of progress has been wonderfully quickened. Time-saving methods and appliances now crowd into a day business which a generation ago would have occupied a week or more. The passage of the Atlantic, which once required weeks, is now a matter of days. It is possible to be in the United States one week, and before the close of the next in Asia. A little time suffices to compass great events as well as great distances. We read of the" Thirty Years' War" in the seventeenth century; the Franco-Prussian War, which destroyed one empire and created another, was begun and practically ended in thirty days. By reason of the increased ease of communication Rew ideas are more speedily popularized, public opinion more quickly formed and more readily expressed; both thought and action are stimulated; reforms are sooner accomplished, and great changes of every sort are crowded into as many years as once they would have required generations or even centuries.
And it must be remembered that these quickening processes are not yet completed or their results fully apparent. Science is daily making easier the conquest of space; and there is reason to believe that the victories of electricity are only well begun.
Thus these changing physical conditions will continue to render the isolation of any people increasingly difficult – a fact of the utmost importance to the world's progress, for isolation results in stagnation, and we accordingly find that the civilization of all peoples is inversely as their isolation. The conformation of Europe and the exceeding irregularity of her coast line are favorable to the intercourse of her various nations with each other and the world, and Europe has developed the highest civilization. Moreover, ~hose of her peoples who are most favorably located for intercourse with their neighbors have made the most progress. The great mountain ranges of Asia, her vast plains, the absence of water communica- tion, or oceans so broad as to discourage the timid navigators of earlier centuries are much less favorable to intercourse, and the civilization of Asia is much lower t,han that of Europe. That part of Africa which lies on t1.e MeditTJrranean has been in contact with the world, and has had at times a high civilization; but the remainder of the continent has been for the most part a terra incognita. Her people have looked out, not upon the highway of narrow seas or straits, but upon the barriers of boundless oceans. The location of Africa and her coast line are much less favorable to intercourse than those of Asia, her people have been much more isolated, and there we find a lower barbarism than any in Asia.
The world is entering on an era in which the isolation of any people will become impossible, and then will the world's barbarism disappear.
2. Notice, briefly, the political changes of the past century. The explanation of most of them is found in the growth of democracy.
During the eighteenth century the spirit of free inquiry became uni- versal in Europe, but it was purely speculative. 'l'hough England enjoyed a measure of liberty. absolutism still reigned on the continent. For sixty years of that century Louis XV. disgraced the throne of France. He regarded the people of his domain as his personal property. Their lives and substance were at his disposal. But wretched and enslaved as was the condition of the French, that of other continental nations is shown by De Tocqueville to have been even worse.
The French Revolution made the people conscious of their power, and hence prepared the way for liberty as soon as the people should become capable of it. Napoleon, in accomplishing his own selfish and despotic purposes, did inestimable service to popular rights, and though, upon his fall, the old order of things was re-established for :l season, at least in form, absolutism from that time on must needs reckon with the growing spirit of democracy.
Says Robert Mackenzie :* "Sixty years ago Europe was an aggregate of despotic powers, disposing at their own pleasure of the lives and prop- erty of their subjects j to-day the men of Western Europe govern themselves. Popular suffrage, more or less closely approaching universal, chooses the governing power, and by methods more or less effective dictates its policy. One hundred and eighty million Europeans have risen from a degraded and ever-dissatisfied vassalage to the rank of free and self-governing men." When we remember that freedom is the most favorable condition for' a natural, healthful development, we see the significance of the growth of modern democracy. This great political change is prophetic of progress because it has removed the barriers which most seriously obstruct progress.
* The Nineteenth Century, p. 459. 3. Consider, now, certain social changes. Since the middle of the century there has sprung up and spread well-nigh throughout Christendom a deep discontent on the part of workingmen. Its causes and its signifi- cance will furnish the subject of a later chapter (VII.), in which it will be shown that this popular discontent foreshadows important changes in our civilization. Suffice it now to remark that a condition of political eq'bality having been achieved, it is short-sighted to suppose that society has, there- fore, arrived at a state of stable equilibrium. Democracy necessitates popular education, and popular education multiplies popular wants. If the many have the same wants as the few, they will demand the same means of gratifying those wants. To give to the poor like tastes with the rich is to create an inevitable demand for substantial equality of condition, and to stimulate dis<:;ontent until such equality is secured.
The discontent of labor has gained such a hearing, that there has been awakened within a few years an unprecedented interest in industrial and all sociological questions. Books treating these subjects have had an , astonishing circulation. A large number of periodicals devoted to social economy, and advocating industrial, economic, or social reforms, have sprung into existence. Labor organizations. whose avowed object it is to effect important change in the laws and in the whole status of labor, have appeared and grown powerful. Advocates of the reorganization of industry on a co-operative instead of a competitive basis have made many disciples. The word socialism is growing less obnoxious to Americans. It is, as Dr. Gladden says, being "fumigated j" and it has needed it, for some foul meanings have infested it. Socialism, separated from all adventitious doc- trines, has been accepted by many Christian men and women of the Ameri- can stock, and among them are many of the YOIlnger clergy.
The growth of socialism in Germany during the past twenty years has been surprising. The Socialist vote for members of the Reichstag in 1871 waf! 124,655 ; in 1890 it was 1,341,587. Schmoller well remarks: "A social movement of thousands is possible only when thousands of thousands have become doubters. "
The German Government has taken an important step toward State socialism, by insuring German workingmen against illness, accident, and bId age, making such insurance compulf!ory. Like measures have been proposed in France, Hungary, and Denmark. "The question at issue among most continental statesmen and students to-day concerns the details rather than the principle of such State help. The era of full reaction against laissez faire theory and practice 'has come, and Emperor William II. is its prophet." * Taken in connection with the discontent of workingmen, and an in- creasing readiness on the part of society to listen to their demands for change, there is great significance in the tendency toward organization and centralization which is seen everywhere.
* u. W. Hinman, in the Social Economist, April, 1891. The progress of the race has been along two lines-viz., the develop- ment of the individual and the organization of society, the. kind of organi- zation of which society is capable being dependent on the measure or type of development attained by'the individual. In the history of Europe, for centuries together, progress seems to have been along only one of these lines at a time-a development of the individual at the expense of social organization, followed by a closer organization of society, a centralization of power at the expense of personal liberty. Thus when society began to emerge from the lawless individualism of the barbarians, it was organized under the aristocratic form and then passed into the more centralized form of absolutism, which culminated in the seventeenth century, and under which individual rights were ruthlessly sacrificed. In the next century the reaction toward individualism came with the French Revolution. The remarkable growth of democracy during the past one hundred years, which, of course, meant the development of individualism, has already been noticed; aud now we see unmistakable evidence that the pendulum of the ages has again begun to swing in the direction of a closer organiza- tion of society, which movement is greatly facilitated by the increased ease of communication afforded by steam and electricity.
Look at some of the evidence of this reaction. In the commercial world the tendency toward consolidation is most striking. First, many independent railway corporations were united into a system, and now great systems are being consolidated under one management. The same is true of telegraph lines. A like tendency is seen in all kinds of production.
In various lines of manufactures there appears an increasing output and a decreasing number of factories, showing, of course, consolidation. This tendency must continue 80 long as production on a large scale is cheaper than production on a small scale. "The following statements have re- cently been made in California, on what is claimed to be good authority [Overland Monthly], of the comparative cost of growing wheat in that State on ranches, or farms of different sizes. On ranches of 1000 acres, the average cost is reported at 92t cents per 100 pounds; on 2000 acres, 85 cents; on 6000 acres, 75 cents j' on 15,000 acres, ao cents; on 30,000 acres, 50 ; and on 50,000 acres, 40 cents."* One of the most striking features of the modern business world is the growth of powerful corporations and more powerful combinations in the form of " pools" and" trusts." The conditions of production and trans- portation have largely ceased to be democratic j and the question may be reasonably asked, Can our Government remaiQ democratic and our indus- tries continue aristocratic or monarchic ?-that is, controlled by the cor- poration or the industrial" king." The Encycloprodiri Britannica t says: " The great American Republic seems to be entering upon a new era, in which it must meet and solve a new problem-the reconciliation of democ- racy with the modern conditions of production. "
* D. A. Wells' "Recent Economic Changes,"_l';.~; t Vol. xxiii., p. 787· Ever since our late civil war there has been a marked tendency tow- ard the centralization of the Government of the United States. Justice Miller, in an address at Philadelphia on the occasion of the centennial celebration of the adoption of the Constitution, said: "While the pendu- lum of public opinion has swung with much force away from the extreme point of States-rights doctrine, there may be danger of its reaching an extreme point on the other side."
This centripetal tendency of the times is further illustrated by the creation of the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Germany out of politi- cal fragments. In the latter part of the eighteenth century there were in Germany nearly 300 independent powers.
Another manifestation of the same tendency is seen in the wonderful drift of population to the cities, which see~s to be a world phenomenon.
So general a tendency toward the centralization of population, of politi- cal power, of capital and of production, manifested in ways so various, can indicate nothing less than a great movement toward a closer organization of society, a new development of civilization.
Thoughtful men everywhere have become expectant of great social changes. Says President Andrews, of Brown University :* "If anything has been made certain by the economic revolution of the last twenty-five years, it is that society cannot much longer get on upon the old libertarian, competitive, go-as-you-please system, to which so many sensible persons seem addicted. The population of the great nations is becoming too con- densed for that. " '
Canon Westcott, professor at Cambridge, writes:t "On every side imperious voices trouble the repose which our indolence would wish to keep undisturbed. We can no longer dwell apart in secure isolation. The main interests of men are once again passing through a great change.
They are most surely turning from the individual to the society." The author of "God in His World" remarks: t "We are now approaching such a crisis. No human wisdom can predict its shaping any more than it can prevent the issne. The air is full of auguries, and even our fiction has become very precisely apocalyptic. It is theoretic prophecy, anticipating the realization of perfect scientific and social economics-the paradise of outward comfortableness. " The Westminster Review says: § "It is felt by every student and every statesman that some movement, vast and momentons, though indefinite, is passing like a great wave over the civil- ized world." And the Ohurchman says:/1 "It is idle to refuse to admit the fact that modern civilization is in a transition state. There are a thousand evidences that the present state of things is drawi;-:; to a close, and that some new development of social organization is at hand. "
Says Mr. William T. Stead : ~ " Everywhere the old order is changing and ** The Oongregationalist, Jannary 22d, 1891. t "Social Aspects of Christianity," p. 4. P. xxv_ § London, May, 1890. i New York, January 17th, 1891.
'J .. The Pope' and the New Era," p. 20. giving place untO the new. The human race is now at one of the crucial periods in its history, when the fountains of the great deep are broken up, and the flood of change submerges all the ~ld-established institutions and conventions in the midst of which preceding generations have lived and died." Srich citations might be indefinitely multiplied.
Many expect violent revolution. Whether such expectations are realized will depend probably on the Christian Church, whether she is sufficiently awake to see and to seize her opportunity. The Church is not yet adequately aroused, hut I believe that she can be, and therefore do not deem revolution probable. We may have social revolution, we must have social evolution. Social systems are never invented, they are evolved, they grow out of what has preceded. A revolution may suddenly sweep away existing institutions as a fire destroys a forest, but the new forest which rises out of the ashes is a growth. Surely it is too late for the world -or at least the Anglo-Sa~on part of it-to fall into the" French fallacy, that a new system of government" or a new social organization" can be ordered like a new suit of clothes."* The social changes which are sure to come will doubtless be great, but they will be natural-the effects of causes long antecedent-hence the importance of comprehending, as far as possible, existing conditions and tendencies.
4. Consider, now, briefly a few suggestions touching the changes of which the progress of science is prophetic.
Most of our scientific knowledge is the growth of the past century. It would be idle to attempt even to enumerate its numberless practical applications to life. By making communication easy and swift, science has effected all human relations and conditions, by perfecting the press ·it has popularized knowledge and powerfully stimulated the mind, by means of labor-saving appliances it has revolutionized the industrial world and added enormously to the world's wealth, awakened new aspirations on the part of the multitude, and created new problems and possibilities of life. If all that science has done for the world during this century were suddenly struck out, it would leave our civilization in ruins; so universal and profound would be the changes wrought, that we should hardly know whether we were living on this planet or had been mysteriously transferred to some other. And we must remember that much of the progress of seience'is so 0: recent that as yet we have seen scarcely a beginning its endless applica- tions to life. Moreover, some of the most practical sciences are still in their infancy; the field of knowledge is boundless, and each new acquisition makes others more easy. Science is certainly destined to make great progress during the next century, and therefore to work great additional changes in civilization.
What if it could be certainly known that during the twentiet.h crntury there would be a new revelation of God's will, another table of the Divine * James Russell Lowell's Democracy, p. 23. law given to men to meet new needs of civilization, and to hasten the coming of the kingdom of heaven upon earth; and so given as to authenticate itself and carry conviction of its truth to all the world? With what profound and eager expectation would it be awaited! What supreme blessings should we expect it to bestow on mankind, and what a mighty upward impetus would it give the race!
Just such a revelation has been made during the past century, and is to be continued in the next. Its truth is evident, but all do not yet perceive that the truths of science are God's truths, that its laws are God's laws. The Church has even looked askance at it. It has been regarded not only as secular, but as actually hostile to religion. Books have been written and professorships established to "reconcile," if possible, these two " foes;" but science is as truly a revelation from God' and of God as are the Scriptures, as really a revelation of His will as was the Decalogue, and one which is to have as real a part in the coming of His kingdom among men ~s the New Testament. God's will expressed in what we call natural law is as benevolent and as sacred as His will expressed in what we call moral law. The more perfectly His law, whether natural or moral, is known and obeyed, the better is it for the race. This new evangel of science means new blessings to mankind, a new extension of the kingdom. The Church ought to leap for joy that in modern times God has raised up these new prophets of His truth. It will be shown later that this modern revelation of His will means a mighty hastening of the day when His will is to 1:-e done on earth as it is in heaven.
One of the great services which science has rendered has been to clear the world of an immense amount of rubbish which lay in the path of progress. The scientific hahit of mind is fatal to credulity and superstition, it rests not on opinions, but facts j it is loyal not to authority, but truth. This means that as the scientific habit of mind obtains, men will break away from t1e superstitions of h€athenism and from the superstitious forms of Christianity. Scientific knowledge is rapidly becoming a necessity to all civilized peoples. Commerce is bringing the nations into an ever closer contact, which means increasing competition, and however cheap flesh and blood may be, they cannot compete with steam and steel. The Bureau of Statistics at Berlin estimated, in 1887, that the steam-engines then at work in the world represented approximately 1,000,000,000 men, or three times the working population of the earth. This mighty force is at work for the Christian nations. What are all the millions of China and India compared with it? Cheap labor cannot compete .with machinery which enables one man to do the work of ten or twenty or a hundred men. Labor·saving machinery is destined to go wherever men toil, and with it will go an increasing knowledge of science.
Moreover, China, IJating foreigners, wishes to become independent of them. She has been compelled to employ them to build her navy, to arm her soldiers, and make her munitions of war. In order to become independent of them she must needs introduce the study of the sciences into her schools. Thus science is destined to become the great iconoclast of the heathen world. What then! Men react from superstition into in- fidelity, which has already become the great peril of Japan and is becoming the peril of India. The ·greatest of modern Hindoos, Keshub Chunder Sen, once said: "I fear for my countrymen that they will sink from the hell of heathenism into the deeper hell of infidelity." The prospect is that in the course of a few generations the heathen world will become either Christian or agnostic. Which it will become will depend on the Church.
In this connection we may not inappropriately remind ourselves of the familiar and significant changes which have already taken place during the past century among heathen and Mohammedan peoples. * A hundred years ago the Japanese were so separated from the remainder of mankind that, so far as any intercourse is concerned, they might almost as well have inhabited the moon. There was then in force a law providing that" no ship or native of Japan should quit the country under pain of forfeiture and death, that any Japanese returning from a foreign country should be put to death, that no nobleman or soldier should be suffered to purchase anything from a foreigner, that any person bringing a letter from abroad should die, together with all his family, and any who might presume to intercede for him. "
Until within a few years the following royal rescript, issued on the extirpation of the Jesuits, remained posted up through all the kingdom : " So long as the sun shall warm the earth, let no Christian be so bold as to come to Japan j and let all know that the King of Spain himself, or the Christian's God, or the great God of all, if he violate this command, shall pay for it with his head." To-day there is a new civilization in Japan.
As a Japanese lecturer said, there is nothing left as it was thirty years ago, " except the natural scenery. "t The nati.on is now eager to place itself in the forefront of progress.
China has for centuries been separated from the world by a barrier far more effectual than her famous " ~yriad Mile Wall"-a wall of pride and prejudice, more immovable, more impenetrable, more insurmountable than any possible wall of stone and mortar.
But a trial of Ilrms with Great Britain and France taught China a whole- soine respect for Western Powers j and her pride was sufficiently humbled to employ foreigners to teach her sons ship-building and navigation, together with the military science by which her armies had been beaten.
The War of 1856 resulted in the Treaty of Tientsin, which guarantees the protection of the Chinese authorities to all persons teaching or profess- ing the Christian religion, thus opening the door to Christian civilization.
* For a full and able discussion of these changes see the missionary classic, "The Crisis of Missions," by Rev. A. T. Pierson, D.D.
. t" The Crisis of Missions," p. 1()(). At the beginning of this century the gates of India were locked to Christian missions, and the East India Company held the key. That com- pany was hostile to missions because it received large revenues from native idolatries, and" as late as 1852 $3,750,000 were paid from public funds to repair temples, provide new idols and idol-cars, and support a pagan priest- hood."'"
The East India Company was abolished in 1858, and the British Gov- ernment is in hearty sympathy with Christian' missions in India. Its officials there annually contribute many thousands of pounds for their maintenance. Moreover, social caste, which in India separates classes as oceans separate continents, and which has served to maintain isolation and stagnation, is giving way before modern civilization, which is every- where bringing men into closer relations.
At the opening of the nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire was characterized by the same spirit which had once rendered it a terror to Christian nations. To.day the Protestants of Turkey, like the other re- ligionists of the empire, have their recognized rights and a representative at the imperial city, religious liberty having been assured by the Treaty of Berlin.
Only a few years ago the vast interior of the Dark Continent was a mystery. Now the great •• open sore of the world" has been thoroughly probed-a long step toward its healing.
The changes which have been very briefly recited have a significance which is simply boundless. During this century the barriers which sepa- rated more than 800,000,000 heathen from the transforming influences of modern and Christian civilizatiou have been broken down. The prison- pens which condemned more than one half of the hnman family to isolation, and, therefore, stagnation, have been thrown open. The contact of the Occident and the Orient has already produced in the latter unwonted signs of life. The dead crust of fossil faiths is beginning to be shattered by the movements of new life underneath. "In every corner of the world," says Mr. Froude, t " there is the same phenomenon of the decay of established religions. Among the Mohaqnnedans, Jews, Buddhists, Brah- mins, traditionary creeds are loosing their hold. An intellectual revolution is sweeping over the world, breaking down established opinions, dissolving foundations on which historical faiths have been built up. " And it should not be forgotten that religious beliefs underlie and determine social and political institutions.
The door" great and effectual" which is thus opened to the Christian Church has been only partially entered. Noble as has been the work of modern miRsions, it must be regarded chiefly as one of preparation. The languages of savage peoples have been reduced to writing, the Bible and a Christian literature have been translated into tongues spoken by hundr~ds * "The Cri8is of Missions," p. 48. t N{fftlt American RtvielO, December, 1879.
1893.J A CENTURY OF MISSIONS
of millions, schools and seminaries for training up a native ministry have' been established, missionaries have learned much of native character and of the necessary conditions of success. A foothold has been secured, a fulerum found, the Gospel lever put in place, and the near future will see the mighty uplift.
We have cast a hasty glance over Christendom and heathendom, and have sought to interpret briefly, though not superficially, the great changes of the century. They seem to me to point unmistakably to One conclusion : the drawing of the peoples of the earth into ever closer relations, wh'ich will render isolation, and therefore barbarism, impossible, and will operate as a constant stimulus j the growth of freedom which removes the greatest !:-arriers to progress; the social ferment and the evident tendency toward a new social organization; the progress of science, destroying superstition, thus clearing the way for truth; the opening of the heathen world to the power of the Gospel and the quickening forces of modern life; the evident crumbling of heathen religions, which means the loosening of the foundations of heathen society-surely all these indicate that the world is about to enter on a new era, for which the nineteenth century has been the John the Baptist• .. Out of the shadow of night The world moves into light; It is daybreak everywhere I"
-Longfellow.
A CENTURY OF MISSIONS. * BY THE REV. F. EDWARDS, B.A., OF HARLOW, ENGLAND.
The end of the first century of modern Christian missions is upon us. Weare entering on a new century of work and service, and we are entering it with enlarged privileges and with widened responsibilities. As we cross the threshold from the one century of completed lahor to the other century of anticipated blessedness, it will be well for us to lay to heart the teachings of the past, that we may be strengthened by its results and inspired by its experiences. Our preparation for our work and our consecration for its duties cannot fail to be increased.
It would 2eem as if the most prominent feature of our centenary celebration is to be the raising of £100,000. Other elements enter into the' official celebration, but they are all subservient to this great pecuniary purpose. I cannot help the conviction that if this is all, or that if this is mainly its result, we shall have prostituted to unworthy ends our opportunities; at any rate, that we shall have failed to secure for them the .. This address was read at the annual meeting of the Essex Union; and at the request of the Secretary of the China Inland Mission we cordially insert it in the pages of THE MISSIONARY RE- VIEW. It i8 one of the most thoughtful papers we have read,-En. highest possible good. If we succeed in raising the money-and about that I do not think there is much doubt-in a few years every trace of it will be gone. The new expenditure which is essential, and which must be met by it; the removal of the debt now existing, to which in part it is to be devoted; the meeting of what seems to promise to be a chronic annual deficiency, will exhaust the resources even before the last instalment of them becomes due.
We misunderstand our opportunity if this is the only end we can make our centenary serve. It may and it ought to minister to an enlarged liberality on the part of us all. If this is all that it does, it will just serve ·as our annual debts have done in the past-furnish the occasion for a spasmodic and unsatisfactory generosity. To my mind the announcement of our debts has often been most humiliating and saddening. It has come out that we have been behindhand, say, some £5000. The fact that there is a debt has led to the discovery on the part of many of our friends that they are wealthier than they had supposed, and that the contributions they had given had by no means exhausted or even crippled their resources. It has been no unusual thing for one to find that he could spare another £500, and for many to find that they could part with another £100 each. Collectively and individually the debt has been a curio~s revelation. We have found out that we have not done all that we could have done. We have done for the removal of a debt what the needs of the world and the claims of our Lord never moved us to do. We are high-souled as to the dishonor of not meeting the liabilities that have been incurred, but we should have kept our contributions if the work had not been done at all, or if the work could have been done at a cheaper rate. Our donations must be raised to a higher level, in which our obligations to our Lord and to the world He has redeemed will be met according to our ability. We ought not to need the stimulus of a debt to prompt us to liberality. It is not fitful and occasional liberality that will secure the evangelization of the world. We could well dispense with this £100,000, if all our churches, and all their members, recognizing the need, and thankful for the privilege of meeting it, would imitate one whose memorial is to be an abiding one, but whose greatness arose from the fact that her work and her ability ran together.
There is no doubt that the pecuniary aspect of our work is Of the utmost, the deepest importance. If we were more spiritual we should not feel that there was anything derogatory in this. There was one of whom we read that his alms as well as his prayers had come up before God. Ollf psalmody and our prayers form part of our worship, but the collecting boxes and the subscription lists need not be secular and unspiritual. The love which is shed abroad in the heart finds its response as much in our gifts as in our prayers. It feeds on liberality as well as on de1l:0tion.
And, as to this giving, it seems to me that our conception of our duty and our methods of giving all need to be revised. We are being constantly reminded that we have so many churches in our denomination, and that we have so many members in connection with thosEf churches. Weare told what the income of our Society is, and what it would be if every member of our churches, and every teacher and scholar in our schools, gave some small sum every week in every year. These calculations are made with the utmost nicety, and are, from time to time, printed in our Heralds and reported at our meetings. The one great aim of all these calculations seems to be, not the declaration of the fact that there is a work to be done, and that be its cost littJe or much it must be done, but to show that it can be done without much trouble and without any great loss to anybody in particular, as if the great recommendation of the great missionary enterprise were its cheapness. And, to encourage this idea of cheapness, we examine every item of expenditure abroad and cut down every possible expense to the lowest point-as if we were resolved that, while its cost to us is unfelt, we will give our agents the opportunity of showing their zeal and exercising their self-denial and winning their crown by bearing their cross. It would almost appear as if we did not mind who met the e~pense provided it did not fall too heavily upon ourselves. It costs thoae who do our work more sacrifice to live upon what we give them than it costs us to provide those means. I know we need to encourage the poorest among us to give, and it is a grand thing to believe, and know, that if we had only poor people in our communion the largest work on earth could still be done. The man is strongest among us who is supported by the contributions of the many by whom he is beloved, and not the man who is indebted for his living to the one or two rich people he happens to have in his congregation. In these days of democracy, it is not the power to have their own way, and to do as they like, that people want to be taught, but the power to work. The privilege of carrying on the work of Christ in the world is not the heritage of the rich among us, it is the heritage of us all alike, and we may all claim our fair share in its execution.
I know all this, and yet I am cODvinced that these calculations and this penny-a-week sYiltem are open to misapprehension. Somebody, whose resources are almost unbounded, hears that 28. 6d. a year from everybody will produce a certain sum, gives us the utterly inadequate sum as if that were his proportion, and forgets it was not for his sake, but for the sake of the widow and orphan that the calculation was made, that they might be encouraged to believe that they were not shut out from the privilege of partaking in the work of the extension of the kingdom of God. The lad was right in his tlfeology, though, perhaps, a little wrong in his history, who, in answer to the question, Who were the Pharisees ~ replied that they were a sect of the Jews noted for their stinginess, and that one of them one day brought a penny to the Lord Jesus, who took the penny into His hand and turned it round, and looked at it and said, Whose subscription is this? The widow who casts in her all to the Lord's treasury, though it only comes to two mites, need not wrap up the mites in paper, as if she would fain cover their littleness; those mites shine with the light of God's love, and are glorified thereby in the eyes of Him who gave His best and His all when he gave Himself for us. The penny a week of many of us who pride ourselves that we are doing our fair proportion, and that we have no right to deprive others of their privilege in giving by doing all ourselves, will be met by the withering rebuke implied in the question, Whose subscription is this? Its fault is not in itself, but in its giver.
When we have reached the highest ground and found the right principle that ought to secure this result–that the money in the Church's hands shall be adequate to meet all the legitimate expense connected with the Church's work-we shall not need 58. centenary cards or ingeniously devised £13 2s. 6d. collecting books, or clever calculations as to how far we shall be able t6 go if all the members of our churches will contribute a penny a week. I maintain that appeals for missionary purposeli ought not to be needed, and that when our funds are only forthcoming as the result of debt, there is something radically wrong. Our institutions ought no more to need to ask for ftmds for their working than our children ought to need to ask us for their food and clothing. All we can legitimately demand or look for is the opportunity of giving, and if that opportunity be but wisely afforded, all that is needed to induce us to embrace it is knowledge-knowledge of the work that is being done, and of the work that yet has to be done before we shall have overtaken the trust committed to us by our Lord. It is ignorance that paralyses our effort, and knowledge is the only power by which our liberality will be brought into active operation. If our churches did but know what has been done, what is being done, what has still to be accomplished, they would rise to the occasion, and there would be no need to plead with those who were already anxious to give. I suppose we shall all be agreed upon this point, and the only possible divergence of feeling and opinion will be as to the means by which this needed knowledge is to be disseminated. I take it t.hat we are preventing the development of missions when all we know about them is derived from our annual meetings, and I take it that we are not much improving matters when we seek to supplement their inspiration by readings from the llfis8ionary Herald at the monthly prayer-meetings, especially if the reader makes it clear that he is gaining his own information at the same time that he is communicating it to his hearers. There is a more excellent way than this, and, after testing it for nearly a quarter of a century, I venture to speak of it. God knows that we get enough sermons, and I dare say that, whether we preach or listen to them, we should all be glad to have fewer of them. So weary are we who listen that thirty minutes is as much as we can endure, and so exhausted are some of us who preach, that we find it hard work to find fresh and interesting materials for our sermons. It surely would be well if we could find something more interesting and stimulating without resorting, as some, unfortunately, do, to sensational methods of making the Gospel palatable. Something fresh to us who speak, and something fresh to us who listen, might bring about marvellous results. And we have not far to go to find out what that something should be. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles is the one unfinished book in the Bible. Apostles have been at work in the midst of us, and God has been working with them, and shame on us if we do not rehearse unto the people all that Jesus is continuing to do. If we would but tell out the story of this past century of modern missions, we should kindle enthusiasm where it does not now exist, and revive it where it is decaying. The triumphs of the Cross in this nineteenth century have even surpassed those of the first. On the part of the workmen, we can tell of heroism that has rarely been equalled: their labors in every sphere of service have been abundant; they have not counted their lives dear unto them, but have made them living ~acrifices unto the Lord. And as to the converts, why, even apart from Madagascar, we can tell of sacrifices that have been made, and of martyrdoms that have been endured, and of professions that have been witnessed, which make us sometimes think that if where there is no cross there can be no crown, our chance of coronation is but slight. It is these last chapters of the ever-growing Book of the Acts of the Apostles that we have' to make ourselves acquainted with, and we must preach them and expound them if missions are to be carried on successfully and triumphantly.
It will not hurt our churches or our minIsters to dispense with one sermon a month, and to have in its place a missionary lecture which shall tell the people about the work of God, and make them familiar with the signs and wonders which the ascended Lord is still doing in the world. The man who tries this will find that his theme is practically as exhaustless as the Bible itself. When I began this work, there were not wanting those who said I should soon come to the end of my materials. I remember saying, I will always have three months' stock in hand, and, when you hear me announce as my subject Carey and Ward and Marshman, you may conclude I have come to the end of my tether. Their work I have often spoken of, but, as yet, I have not told the story of their lives. The missionary literature and biography of the last hundred years are extremely rich. Contributions have come from every quarter. From the Moravians downward to the last of the Combers, God has given us men of whom we may well be proud; and I am sure the Apostle Paul will forgive us if we sometimes let our people know that there are other missionary travels and labors beside his. Every year adds to the already large list from which we can draw, and surely one night in the year might well be spared for our own annual report of the work of the Lord during the year. For years I have given one night to the review of the work of the year of our own Society. It will not do to read it or to make extracts. Read sermons are bad, enough, but read report~ are infinitely worse. We must master these reports ourselves, and we may nlry our lectures as much as we like. He is a poor preacher who can preach only one sermon on a good text. We can begin with the money, and tell how it was raised and how we Bpent it. Or we may describe the work and the workers-the spheres of their labor and what they do in them, and astonish our hearers by telling them the small cost at which it has all been done. Or we may begin with our European missions, and go on till we reach those farther off. There are a hundred ways of giving the same report. It took four evangelists to give us a picture of Jesus Christ, and when we have done our part in telling the story of modern missions, we shall have left more unsaid than we have told.
I am not unmindful of the fact that all this means work, and that the work must fall mainly upon the ministers of our churches. It is, however, for work that we ministers exist, and if we do not do it the reason for our existence is ended. I know it is easier to preach a sermon than it is to give a lecture. It is astonishing how easy we can make sermons and how often. Such lectures, however, as those I have been speaking of are different matters. They will involve an amount of reading and preparation from which we ought not to shrink. I may, however, remind you that during the last year or two the necessary labor has been much lessened. Cassell's" Conquests of the Cross," Snow's" Missionary Outlines," Partridge's "Missionary Biographies," the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge's books on the non-Christian religions of the world, and other books I need not specify, have brought within reasonable compass materials which those of us who in the past have gone over the same ground have had to collect for ourselves. I know that epitomes of history are not the safest help to the study of history, and mention these books simply to indicate the fact that no one need be deterred by the reading he will have to go through. A more serious objection arises from the expense involved in book-buying. It is hard that the men who most value books should find it hardest to get them. If our rich members did but know how they themselves would be benefited by their ministers having good libraries they would see to it that they should be provided with them. I may mention, however, that the books I have referred to are cheap, and many of the larger biographies which could be turned to good account are procurable at low rates from second-hand booksellers. I think, however, that if our Missionary Society were approached, the committee might do something to remove this difficulty~ The cost of a book il!! as legitimate an expenditure as that of a deputation. I once asked our late treasurer to give his book on the Congo to everyone of our ministers on the condition that he would read it and lecture on it to his people, and give them an opportunity of contributing to our funds. I am certain that £1000 would have been I raised without difficulty. I once offered, if the committee would find the hooks, to send them out to the brethren, who would use them, and to give the benefit of my experience as to subjects to all who would not be offended at my offering it. A small floating library of this sort would bring untold wealth to our Society. The books would be a treasure to those who read them and to those who had the substance of them given to them. My offer was not accepted. I suppose one must be inside the committee before one is considered wise enough to make suggestions, or one must forget his modesty and press his views forward at annual meetings to get heard. My time for work of this sort is over, and I therefore feel free to speak upon this subject. We make provision in our colleges for the study of Church history, but we do nothing for the history of modern missions. I well remember one who had gone nearly through his college course, and had been stirred by one of Livingstone's books, who has since done work in Africa which will live, who had never heard of Saker, and knew nothing of his stupendous work at the Cameroons. Give, I would Ray, at any cost, to our ministers the means of instructing the people, and, as !!loon as they are familiar with the work that is going on they will be ambitious of the privilege of partaking in it, and the only appeal that will be needed for the raising of the funds requisite for the carrying on of the work of Christ in the world will be the collecting-box at the doors. We shall not need the excitement of annual meetings, but our contributions will be stimulated by our knowledge, and our subscriptions and donations to missions will come to be regarded as parts of our necessary expenditure which must be met and cannot be curtailed.
And it is in this direction that our true centenary celebration is leading us. It seems to me that the grand characteristic of our mission work has been this, that we were the first to show that we were in touch with the great evangelical movement which came as a second Reformation into England. The other societies followed in our train, but it would, I think, be untrue to say that our work led to theirs. The true explanation is that their formation resulted from the same causes as our8, only it came later. We felt the inspiration first, and responded to it to the measure of our strength. If we are wise enough to see it, the outpoured blessing from on high which brought us into existence has tinged and baptized our development ever since. It was God's providence and not our wisdom that led to the choice of our first missionary sphere. Carey's longings and feelings would not have taken him to India. It was John Thomas who led to the establishment of our Indian Mission. The providence that took us there has never forsaken us. In addition to the earnest evangelists who in true apostolical succession have labored in India, we have had a succession of competent linguists who have laid the foundations which are essential to permanent success in the translations they have made of the Word of God into the vernacular. The scholarship that has marked some of our foremost men in India has never been surpassed even in our home churches. God has given us men who, as to the gift of tongues, have made us feel that' the wonders of Pentecost have not ceased. In our African Mission, the same Divine blessing has been realized. Itself the expression of the gratitude of redeemed and emancipated slaves, the first mission driven by persecution into new quarters, and the second given up as the result of the restlessness of German colonization, the forsaken stations and the renounced work have led step by step to the establishment or the Congo Mission, around which there is a halo of consecration and heroism which is as bright as any the Church has ever been privileged to rejoice in. The silent graves, as well as the still living voices, alike are eloquent in telling what the love of Christ can inspire men to attempt and to do. We may and we do weep over our losses, and in our unbelieving and calculating moods may ask the purpose of this waste j but those who have made the sacrifices would call back nothing that they have given, and presently in a regenerated Africa we shall have the convincing proof that the way of the Cross is still the way of light. And the Lord that has led us where we have gone' has blessed us in all that we have done. The direct results of our work are such as fill us with adoring gratitude. One has planted and another has watered, and everywhere God has given the increase. The very character of our progress is the highest proof that it will be maintained and augmented. In all lands it has been a growth, and the growth has been maintaineu," and it has increased. As we have pursued our course we have sometimes wondered whether we have been doing anything at all j but the review of every ten years of work has furnished us with accumulating evidence that if the ratio of our increase be but maintained, we are within measurable distance of the end. The mountain is becoming a plain before the Lord of hosts.
And as to the indirect results of our missions we can rejoice in them all. In Jamaica evangelization has been followed by emancipation. In India, some of the excrescences of Hinduism, if they were not its true growth, have disappeared. Our religion, even· where it has not been accepted, has touched and advanced civilization. Education has sprung up and has become general, and will soon be the birthright of every Hindu as it is already of every Englishman. The very women of India have been reached in their seclusion. "'Te have by science and philosophy undermined the foundations of the old faiths, and are preparing a highway over which the Lord Himself will pass in triumph over India.
And in another way we ha'"e reaped unexpected results. Affinities between the Indian races and ourselves have been discovered, the science of languages has been stimulated, the history of religions has been studied, the materials for the study of comparative religions have been gathered. It is missions that have made possible the researches and labors of sllch scholars as Max Muller and Dr. Legg. And by the increase of our knowledge of all the religions of the world we are enabled to approach men, not so much on the side that is sure to awaken their antagonism-for we have found that there are beliefs that are common to us all, and longings to which no human heart is a stranger-and we are able now to declare unto the heathen Him whom they have ignorantly worshipped.
The hand that has guided and blessed us is beckoning us forward, and if we have learned aright the lesson God has taught us, we shall be sure of this-that no work for God can be done in vain, and that in due season we shall reap if we faint not.
And if, forgetting for the moment all that has been done among the heathen through our instrumentality, we think of the effect of our missions among our home churches, again we shall have another illustration of one of the great laws of God's kingdom, that in blessing others we get blessed ourselves. If not to others, yet doubtless to ourselves, our missions have brought incalculable advantages and blessings. It is a memorable fact that the very men who were the originators of the foreign missions established, and for years themselves conducted, a mission in Cornwall. The cry that home has the first claim upon us originates with those who have no care either for home or foreign work. Our home missions are the offspring of our foreign missions. The last century has witnessed a growth of religion at home that would have been deemed impossible when it began. We have shown that we care for men's bodies as well as their souls, for their minds as well as for their spirits, for their earthly homes as well as for their heavenly dwelling-places. Life is more worth living to-day than it was a hundred yearl'! ago. Everything is not yet perfect, bllt we are better housed to-day than our fathers were. Nursing, medicine, surgery, have brought relief and alleviation to us that our fathers never dreamed, and there is a Christian element in it that once was absent. Much yet has to be done for middle-class education, but we are a better educated people than our fathers were, and the growth of education is showing no signs of decay. There has been an awakening on the part of the Church that it has a duty to perform which extends into every department of life. And with all our efforts for social and educational reform, direct evangelical work is more common than ever. And I cannot help noticing that we may find in our mission fields the true answer to many of the pressing questions that from time to time spring up among us. We are discussing at home what the Gospel is that is to be preached-and some, perhaps, are wondering whether, after all, there is any Gospel that can be preached-and the answer that comes home from every mission field is that the story of God's Jove and of Christ's redemption is still working wonders, changing men's hearts, and altering men's lives. Perhaps if we told the story oftener and plainer, we should have less need to doubt, and less time to discuss, for here, as everywhere, the Gospel will prove God's power unto salvation to everyone that believes.
I am sure of this-that this work has brought us into closest communion with our Divine Lord. As our work has grown upon us, and we have taken wider views of our responsibilities and our prifileges, we have seen the grandeur and the magnitude of the work He came to accomplish in redeeming the world to God as we never saw them before. Our hearts have beaten in harmony with the heart of the Lord Jesus. We have been in tOl1ch, in sympathy with Him. The enthusiasm of humanity that
DR. PENTECOST AT NORTHFIELD
moved Him has been realized by us. In forgetting ourselves and living for others, we have come nearest to Him. Our own spiritual life has been quickened by our work. We have never felt so sure of our oneness with our Lord as we have done when, in imitation of His sublime example, we have gone forth to seek and to save that which was lost.
Our retrospect of the past leaves but one feeling uppermost in our minds, and that feeling is one of thankfulness. It hal been a century of blessing, and the memory of it leads us forward to the work which claims our attention and tasks our energy, strong in faith and strong in hope. We cannot lag behind, we cannot falter. The Lord is with us, and we follow where He leads. He is leading us to vietory, and presently we shall reign with Him.
I close with words that have a deeper meaning now than they had when they formed the conclusion of the fiftieth report of our Society : "When God by His providence has effected such preparation, may it not be taken in connection with the promises of His Word, and the all-prevalent intercession of His Son, as an indication of His purpose? We think it may, we believe it must. Temporary and local reverses there are and will be, to awaken to fresh diligence and trust in God, but we believe that the general movement of His cause will still be onward; that, if not at every point, yet at most points of the line, the outposts of this year will be made the trenches of the next, till at length every encampment of hostile spiritual domination shall be broken up, and' the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.' "
DR. PENTECOST AT NORTHFIELD.
OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN INDIA.
BY REV. H. B. HARTZLER.
Dr. George F. Pentecost is always a welcome presence at Northfield. Years ago he was drawn into the town, as were also the Gospel singers, Mr. Sankey and Mr. Towner, by the charms and associations of the place, to seek a home under its stately elms and maples; but Providence has not permitted him long to remain in his chosen home. The great cities of America, Englaud, Scotland, and India have claimed him for special service in the interests of the kingdom of God. After an absence of nearly two years in India, Dr. Pentecost once more appeared before a Northfield audience on Sunday, August 28th. It was the closing day of the Northfield "season," which had begun wit.h the World's Student Conference in July. The Congregational church was crowded to hear the words of their favorite speaker. In the morning and afternoon he preached with all his wonted energy and power, and in th~ evemng he g,'lve a remarkable account of his experiences and observations in India. The report which follows, lengthy as it is, falls far short of reproducing the magnificent, kaleidoscopic picture flashed upon the view of the audience by the eloquent orator. Dr. Pentecost spoke in substance as follows: " We have no time for the expression of personal feeling. I can only say that this day has been a very happy one to me. After coming from the high and low places of the earth, the great mountains and the great and boundless plains. from looking on the grandest scenery of the world, I come back to Northfield, and it seems to my eyes that thil!l is the brightest spot on the earth. Even the vale of Cashmere, celebrated by poet and sage, to my eyes is not more peaceful and restful than this dear old Connecticut valley. I regret that after all these years of absence I can spend so short a time among you, my friends and neighbors j but I must again say that this has been a sweet, restful, delightful day to me. And now I will try to tell something of the wonderful work of God in India as I have seen it during the last two years.
" Well, friends, I do not think if you should take a journey to another planet, that you would find yourself in the midst of more surprises than if you were to he suddenly transported from Northfield to India. I have the feeling, after having been in India only a little over seventeen months, that I have been in another planet. If I should speak to you of the geographical wonders of India, its billowy mountains, its magnificent forests and jungles, its wide, cultivated plains, it would require the whole evening to do so. Think of th~ vast snow ranges with mountains thirty thousand feet high, as if the Matterhorn were piled on top of Mt. B-lanc and then the two capped with the Rigi, and you still fail of the conception. Think of travelling through forests of oak an hundred miles, through which you could scarcely creep because of the dense undergrowth, and millions of orchids peeping and twinkling at you likfl myriads of fairy spirits, of forests of rhododendrons, towering from an hundred to an hundred and fifty feet in height and covered with one mass of brilliant flowers. Another evening might be spent on the architecture of IndIa. Take the one outstanding, illustrious example from the ten thousand of beautiful buildings in India: the celebrated Taj Mahal, the most symmetrical, the most restful and beautiful building the world has ever seen. I have looked at it in all lights j quivering in the first throbbing light of the day, and under the soft light of the setting sun j under the peaceful light of the full moon, and thrilling under the light of a million stars, when the whole structure had such a fairy look, that it seemed as though it might take wings and fiy up into the heaven, from whence it seems it must have come. The architecture of India, as wonderful and more spiritual than that of ancient Egypt, goes to prove that when we speak of the people of India as heathen, we are not to think of them as barbarians or savages or as untutored black men. Perhaps India holds a people the most cultured of any in the world. They have a religious literature the most massive, and written in a language more musical than the Greek, more prolific than the Latin, and more exact than either of them-a people who have a religious cult that antedates every religion of the earth, with a philosophical system from which both the ancient and modern western world have borrowed their most subtle thoughts.
"In India, as I said here a few years ago. in my judgment, we find the chief centre of the missionary problem. Africa has its teeming millions, China has its teeming millions, and India its teeming millions, but in these three great centres of the world's population it seems to me that India holds the key of all the foreign missionary problem of to-day. In India there are three great religions: Mohammedanism, Hinduism, and Christianity. We often think of Turkey as being the seat of the Moham- medan power; but the real head is in India. We might convert Turkey from Mohammedanism and still its chief strength would be left in India. Here is the home of Hiuduism in its double form, the philosophical Hinduism of the monasteries, the monopoly of the priests and scholars of India; and the gross and bestial idolatry with its millions of votaries among the common people, centred about its tens of thousands of temples. Christianity is the David in the midst of these twin Goliaths. Mohammedanism has 70,000,000 followers; Hinduism, 200,000,000 ; Buddhism, which once dominated all India, does not exist in all the length and breadth of the Jand to-day. Centuries ago the astute Brahmins seeing that Hinduism was doomed in the prevalence of Buddhism, finally embraced Buddha and made him the ninth incarnation in their pantheon. This was the doom of Buddhism, for, having embraced Buddha, they proceeded to squeeze him to death in their loving embrace.
" A few years ago there was a large gathering of Brahmin Pundits and priests, who came together from all parts of India to discuss the duty of Hinduism with reference to Christianity. They recognized the fact that Christianity was making rapid strides in India, and they decided that they would adopt Jesus Christ as they had centuries before adopted Buddha, and thus dispose of Christianity, but their scheme would not work, because they forgot that Jesus Christ would not be adopted by them. So we have these three religions struggling in that land for the supremacy. India is the land par excellence of romance and destiny. Weare prone to forget what an influence India has had upon the countries of the world. All history shows us that India has had a predominating influence upon the West. It is a settled· fact that the European country which has held in the past the keys of India's commerce has risen to the highest rank among European/powers; and the country or city that has had that key and then lost it has fallen from the high place which it occupied to the lowest, histori.:ally and politically-as witness Alexandria, Venice, Portugal, and Holland. In dealing with this country we are dealing with the mightiest people and country in the world. Ethnologically we are brothers. The Hindus who possess the country to-day are Aryans, who emigrated into that land before the time of Moses. "Weare the same race as the Indians. They are black, we are white; but we have the same features, and our "European languages are sprung from the same Sanscrit roots. The differ- ence is that in that great migration part went in one direction and part in another. The part of that great Aryan family which travelled toward the West and thence toward the North, and strained itself through the western barbarian people, emerged at last in the great and now all-predominating Anglo-Saxon race. The Hindus are those who went South and East through the Bolen and Khibar pas3es of the Himalayan Mountains into the Punjab, and thence spread over all India, overlaying the Dravidian people. I remember talking with a very distinguished Brahmin on this subject. I said, 'But, my brother, you know that I am also a Brahmin.' He wanted to know what I meant. Then I spoke a parable. I said, ' Some three or four thousand years ago two brothers started from a certain part of Asia. The older one moved west and north ; the younger south and east. The elder brother settled in Europe, while the younger brother settled in India. The only difference is that you are a descendant of the younger brother and I of the older.' He was inclined to question the statement, but I told him that at least he could not disprove it.
" After two years of intimate intercourse with the educated men of India, my love for them has increased. The better I came to know this people, the more I talked with them, and the oftener I got on my knees with them, the more tenderly and sympathetically I carne to love them; and when I turned away from the last meeting held with them, I turned away with my heart filled with emotions of tenderest love for those splendid men who for nights and weeks together came to hear the story of Christ.
" It has been said of the Hindu religion that it is eternal and unchangeable. They claim that their religion is based upon an eternal revelation and that it is unchangeable. The critics of Christianity. who have discussed the question whethe.r it is possible for Christianity to pervade India, have said that in India we have to contend with an unchangeable religious system, bound and linked together by an indissoluble caste system which renders it an impregnable religious fortress. If I had time I might show you, through well-certified facts, that, while it is the boast of the Hindu that his religion is unchanging and unchangeable, no religion in the world has given so many evidences of erosure and decay as theirs has under the influence and impact of Christianity for the last hundred years. Of course when we think of the 300,000,000 Hindus and Mohammedans, and our little force of Christians in India, it looks to the superficial observer like a hopeless undertaking to Christianize these millions. It seems as though the means were entirely inadequate to reach the desired end, and that the task could never be accomplished. So the passing stranger, the coldhearted friend, and the hot-hearted enemy are constantly saying that the conqueBt of India by forces that are there is an impossibility. There are those who take delight in counting up the number of Christian converts and then counting up all the money that has been appropriated and ~pent for carrying on the work; comparing the number won over for Christ with the number of dollars spent for that purpose, and by this commercial test declaring that modern missions are a wasteful extravagance and that practically the work is a failure; but just here, in passing, I would like to say that in my judgment the result of Christian work in India is any way from fifty to five hundred times greater than the result of Christian labor in Christian America, when you compare the number and cost of instrumentalities in that country with those in this. The most hopeful field of missionary labor to-day is India. If I had money to invest in religions work and were seeking the most profitable investment for it to-day, I would invest in India rather than in the Connecticut valley.
" Let me illustrate: I had the pleasure of several interviews with the distinguished and honorable and most able Viceroy of India, Lord Lansdowne. On one occasion we retired into the private office of the VICeroy, and were talking about the possible conquest of India for Christ. He was of the opinion that we could never win India for Christianity ; that our force was too small to cope with the vast and increasing millions of India. I told him I not only felt hopeful, but was filled with a trinmphant gladness when I saw what had been and what is now being accomplished there. I also reminded him of the small number of British soldiers now occupying India compared with the hordes of natiyes. It is not a question of conquest now with them, it is only a question of holding what they have conqu~red. India was taken for Christ a hundred years ago, when William Carey landed at Calcutta and began his missionary labors among them. Since the baptism of Krishna Pal, Carey's first Brahmin convert, the question is not one of the conquest of the land, but of the subduing of it to Christ. For eight or ten years Carey labored without a convert ; then one man was converted, and that gave India into the hands of the Christian Church, just as the falling of the walls of Jericho gave Canaan into the hands of the Israelites. The first convert was not a low-caste man, but a high-caste man. This is significant. When William of Normandy crossed the English Channel and fought and won the battle of Hastings, his first battle on English soil, he had practically won England. There he built a castle, and wherever he won a battle after that he built a castle. So the conversion in Calcutta of Krishna Pal was the battle of Hastings for us. There Carey took possession of India for Christ. Many victories have been won and the missionaries have built Christian missionary bungalows to signalize these victories, and these Christian bungalows are the fortifications by which that great country of India will be held until the entire subjugation of the people is accomplished for Christ.
" To-day there are in India three million native Christians. I suppose the number of real Christians among the gross number of nominal adherents to Christ is much less than this i but suppose we should say that we have no more than one million, we have demonstrated the power of the religion of Christ over their religion. The great mass of native Christians are from the low castes, but there are enough high-caste men among them to demonstrate the power of Christ j that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is adapted to reach the heart and the conscience and the will of all the inhabitants of that land, the high as well as the low.
" Let me give you a bird's-eye view of the results of the work of mis. sions for the last hundred years. The missionaries in India during the last hundred years have accomplished more for Christ than the first Christians under the leadership of the apostles accomplished in all Western Asia and Europe during the first century of Christianity. This demonstrates that the Gry for apostolic days and apostolic power is based upon a misconception of facts. If you should go to India for a year, you would see that it is a time of apostolic men and apostolic power now. The power of the Holy Ghost is being felt in that land to-day as mightily as in the days of the apostles in Western Asia and Europe.
" It has been said that the great mass of convcrts in India are low· caste men. This is certainly true, and it is well that it is so. There are the three great castes, the Brabmin, or priest caste, the soldier and the farmer castes, supposed to bave sprung respectively from the head, the arms and the legs of Brabma; but there are innumerable other castes that have grown out of these. The Brahmins are the first caste. A Brahmin considers himself a god aud exacts worship from the low-caste men. It is among the low-caste mAn that the greatest number of converts have been made to Jesus Christ, and this is sometimes spoken of as an illustration of the lack of power of the Gospel to subdue India. But can you call to mind anY,country where the great bulk of its converts have not been among the low-caste people ~ In America, for instance, how many of the noble, how many of the rich, are included in the living body of Jesus Christ ~ Let us admit that the great bulk of Christians are from the common people. Would we have it otherwise ~ We lay foundations not in the top soil, but in tbe sub-soil. When they laid the piers of Brooklyn Bridge, they did not plant them in the top soil, but dug deep down. Christianity has always rooted itself in the low-castes. Read the story of the Corinthian and the Roman churches, and you will see that the great mass of these churches were made up of low ·caste men; the driftwood of the nations, in Corinth, and slaves and freedmen in Rome. Why, friends, if I wanted to take a city by pulling down its walls, do you suppose that I would rig a derrick to take hold of the cope stones and pull them off ~ No, I would set my sappers and miners to dig out the stones at the bottom of the wall and then thc whole would fall. Practically that is what is going on in India. Indian society and Hinduism rests on its castes. The top caste flourishes on the support which it gets from the lower and the lowest castes. If we pull out the lower castes, the top caste must come down in fragments. The bitter cry of the Brahmins to-day is that Christianity is alienating the low castes. Some time ago a high-caste man, the head master of the Maharaja of Daypoor's College, complained to me because, as he said, we are lifting up the low-caste men and withdrawing their respect forever from the Brahmins and making them equals, and this is so. Whereas a few years ago, if a low-caste man met a Brahmin on the street, he would prostrate himself and allow the proud Brahmin to walk over him ; now he merely makes a salaam to him, and coutends with him for the best places in the gift of the government, and, withdrawing his offeriug, he compels the Brahmin to labor for his bread as though he were a mau and not a god.
"Is it possible to elevate the low-caste man? The Hindus worship caste." Here Dr. Pentecost gave an illustration of the daughter of a sweeper who has graduated from the University of Calcutta aud taken the degree of B.A., also of a now lady, the daughter of a low-caste man, who is teaching the children of the elite in a private school in Poona ; and several other illustrations of the same order. He said, " What may we not expect in a f,ew generations from this low caste, if in one generation such great upward strides are made. God is giving to the American Methodist missionaries alone from a thousand to fifteen hundred converts a month in India. The rapidity with which the conversions are going on among the low-caste people in India is wonderful.
" In the Punjab forty years ago there was not a known Christian; then Messrs. Newton and Forman, of the American Presbyterian Church, went into the country and built their missionary bungalow there. To-day the baptized communicants are numbered by tens of thousands. We sometimes pray that God would open doors for us, that He would pour out His Spirit upon the land. It is not a question of that, it is only a question of our going through the doors that are opened and gathering up the ripe fruit that is lying there. Dr. Forman said to me some time ago that he could not baptize a tenth of the converts who are waiting to be baptized, because they had not the teachers to take care of them. Only recently returning from a missionary tour of the villages, out of two hundred converts he had selected twenty for baptism. The rest he had to leave until his working force should be enlarged. That practically is the problem of India to-day, not to get converts, but to take care of those they have, and the thousands who are knocking for entrance into the Christian Church. The rate of progress among the Christians during the last ten years has been 23 per cent, while that of the population is only about 17 per cent. So great and rapid is the increase that some of the English secular papers have been compelled to confess that in the last ten years they have been utterly blind to the great strides of the Gospel.
" Weare told that the high-caste men are not being converted. I have been in about a hundred cities and villages, and in none where there are Christian missionaries do you find less than five or ten high-caste Christian men. There are enough of these high-caste Christians 1:0 stand as monuments of the power of God. "In every government office in the land, among the men who are holding high and honorable positions are high-caste Christians. In the colleges the men who are taking high stand as scholars are. the native Christians. There is something in the power of the Gospel that sets the minds of these men at liberty, and sends them over the dead point of intellectual power.
" These are some of the encouraging features. But is this all? Why, my friends, we count our Christians at three millions. There is not a city or a town or a village where a Christian missionary lives and has preached the Gospel, but there are beside the open converts great numbers of secret Christians. I speak from experience that among the high-caste men there are more secret Christians than among the low-caste men. In Calcutta I found a great many Christians among the high·caste men. They did not come out from their cas~e, but they openly confessed Jesus Christ.
"The Brahmin gurus or pastors have finally consented that they may confess Jesus Christ and retain their caste, if they will not be baptized. Thus they acknowledge that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has taken a great hold upon the people, and they are afraid of losing their hold upon them.
" We do not need to hurry. The fabric of their religion is being undermined and will eventually fall of itself. All over India great cleavages are taking place-mighty cleavages from the Hindu rock, under the impact of Christianity. The Brahmos, the Aryas, the Devas, and the Sadharans, and theistic sects acknowledge the Bible, especially the Gospel, to contain the best ethical system and Jesus Christ to be the most perfect human example. These various Somajes or churches have thousands of adherents in the Northwest, in the Punjab, in the Bombay and Madras Presidencies. I was recently shown the confession of faith of one of these societies or Somajes, drawn up by its living founder. In it there was not a single sentence the substance of which was not plagiarized from the Gospel, and they acknowledge it. Here are thousands and thousands of men who have been brought out of Hinduism under the influence of Christianity. True, they are not Christians, but they are on the way to Christ. There must be destruction before we can have reconstruction. These things are not given in the translated reports of the missionaries. A man said to me, , Yon will not make many more converts from among the Brahmins, but you are Chritltianizing all Hinduism.'
" There is one other thing in regard to results. There is a Christian atmosphere. There is a passage in the Bible which says that the devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air, and I never knew what that meant until I went to India. There is a strangely hell-impregnated atmosphere in that land. It is almost impossible to resist it. I have seen Americans and Englishmen, not Christians themselves, living there, who have become Brahminized by the very atmosphere; but wherever there is a Christian bungalow, wherever there is a Christian song sung, or a Gospel testimony given, the air becomes purer j the devil is exorcised. The Spirit of God is pervading the very atmosphere where before the devil reigned without a rival, and this is doing more to destroy Hinduism than the direct preaching of the Gospel. Hinduism cannot live in this new heavenly air. You cannot tabulate this. The results of the Christian missions that cannot be tabulated are ten times as great as those which can be.
"I have not told you anything of what God has done among the women. I can only give you the most meagre outline of the most visible results. The Christian women of the missionary force in India are begin- ning to work a revolution in the Indian homes, where Hinduism is anchored more firmly than in its temples." Several striking illustrations were here given. Of his own work Dr. Pentecost had time only to speak a little. He was seventeen months in India, and had the joy of seeing nearly two thousand Englishmen and Eurasians converted to Christ. In Calcutta for eight weeks, every night, he addressed audiences of educated native men. They listened with attention and courtesy, and oftentimes with tears in their eyes. He has now nearly a hundred covenant cards, which are signed by as many native gentlemen in that city alone, in which they declared their acceptance of Christ as Saviour and Lord. Similar meetings for educated native gentlemen were held in Lucknow, Cawnpore, Delhi, Lahore, Poona, and other places, in all of which most gratifying results followed.
" Some of these young men before I left India were baptized. Others said as soon as they could manage it they would be baptized. These men are not yet seen upon the missionary reports, but the power of the Gospel is being felt and is working in their lives. The Hindus are a very peculiar people. In the great college halls of Calcutta I preached to thousands of these Hindus. They are very excitable, and when excited have a habit of grasping one foot and swaying back and forth. I told one night there the story of the Saviour's nativity. After I had finished, I said, , Perhaps some of you have not had the opportunity of reading this story. I have a New Testament here, and if anyone cares for it, he may have it.' Now the Hindus have never learned to act independently. They are entirely bound by caste. When I offered that Testament, a wave of feeling rolled over the audience. The excitable men began to sway back and forth and shake their feet with great rapidity. Finally one man raised his hand. Instantly every foot was still. He rose and came forward for the Testament, but the cold perspiration stood out on his face, and he was trembling in every joint of his body. The cause of the excitement was that he had dared to act independently, without the precedent or consent of his caste followers. Once a vast audience was thrown into a state of volcanic excitement by a Brahmin rising to his feet and openly confessing Christ, and on other occasions when one and another rose to ask the prayers of God's people for his soul and that his sins might be forgiven. After he had taken the Testament I offered a number of others; but when I held up my last Testament and offered it to whoever wished it, the ice was broken and the audience rushed forward as one man for that Testament. There was a perfect mob.
"The Hindus are very anxious to learn English, and many of them come to the service for that purpose alone. At one of my services I spoke to a man who listened with great attention, and told him how glad I was to see him so interested, and asked him why he came. He said, ' I wish to improve my English.' One night during a meeting a lot of fellows got up to go out. I said, ' I see there are a number of yOlmg men here who do not understand English, and so, of course, cannot be expected to remain. I will therefore give time to those who do not understand English to leave the hall.' Everyone of them sat down as if he had been shot. They consider it very infra dig not to be able to understand and speak English. Whenever anyone tried to go out during a meeting, I just intimated that he did not understand English, and he immediately sat down again. These meetings were, of course, for the native gentlemen alone, as the women of the higher castes are never seen in public.
" In Lahore we had a hall that held nine hundred people. I announced meetings for educated, English-speaking Indian gentlemen. I announced that the entire body of the hall would be reserved for these gentlemen j and the two side aisles reservcd for the English and Eurasians. At the first meeting there were about one hundred natives. Before the meetings closed, at the end of three weeks, the entire, body of the house reserved for them, accommodating about six hundred, was packed to the doors. On either side we had three hundred Christians, English or Eurasians. At the end of the meetings I ventured to pronounce the benediction. When I did this the English rose, but the natives always remained seated, as it would have been acknowledging Christianity for them to have risen. At the last meeting I preached on the love of Christ and there were many wet eyes. At the end I sung the doxology and pronoullced the benediction. I turned to go, but before I got away some impulse made me turn around, and I came again to the front of the platform, and lifted my hands and said, 'You have been listening to me for three weeks, with a patience and courtesy that I hal'e never met with before. I have pronounced the benediction and I was grieved that you were not on your feet to receive God's benediction. God has sent me back to pronounce that benediction again, and if there is one here who desires to receive the blessing of God, and will indicate it by rising, I will lift my hands and ask the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to abide with you.' I lifted my hands and waited. It seemed as if there was a movement like the rushing of a mighty wind over that audience, and those six hundred native gentlemen sprang to their feet as one man and waited in reverent attitude while I pronounced the benediction. They would not have done this if the Ho9' Spirit had not moved them.
" After preaching three weeks in Poona I was asked to come back again, and they even offered to pay all my expenses if I would return.
MISSIONARY PROGRESS IN CHINA
I have given you only a bird's-eye view of what God is doing in India; what He is doing through these men and women who have taken their lives in their hands and gone there to work for Him.
" I come back from India with a profound respect, almost veneration, for the noble men and women who have gone out to that land to spend their lives in missionary work. We should give them every support of sympathy, of love, and of money to carryon their work."
The Rev. Dr. Waugh, of Lucknow, for thirty-four years a mIsSIOnary in India, who chanced to be at Northfield, and heard Dr. Pentecost's address, was moved to follow the speaker with words of emphatic endorsement and confirmation. "Weare thankful," said he, "that America gave us tte loan of this glorious preacher for seventeen months. He has aroused an interest in Christianity in India, of which he has told you something here, but there are a thousand things which he has not told you. His statements concerning the rapid progress of Christianity and the condition of things in India is confirmed by solid facts. I can testify that his witness is true. I wish that every church in Amadca could hear the speech that we have heard to-night. I do not think Dr. Pentecost could do India and the world any better service than to go all over this country and Europe telling his wonderful story as he has told it to this congregation to-night."
MISSIONARY PROGRESS IN CHINA.* BY REV. JOHN CHALMERS, M.A., LL.D., HONG KONG, CHINA.
Christianity has not shown much vitality in Canton, although in ita Roman form it has been planted there for centuries; and since Morrison arrived in 1807, Protestant missionaries have been at work in the city of Rams with little interruption. It is not, however, safe al ways to judge by appearances, 'even about things material, and still greater is the danger of mistake when we come to judge of spiritual changes. Within the last three years a scheme has originated and taken shape among the native Christians of Canton for the ultimate evangelization of the whole province. I had heard of this in conversation or by letter from time to time, and of course rejoiced in it as a sign of life and progress; though not by any means convinced that it was more than a well-meant attempt on the part of a few to help the missionaries. But I have to-day received two printed pamphlets purporting to be the Regulations and the Report up to date, of * "The accompanying article seems to me of such interest aud importance to Christians the world over. that I have asked Dr. Chalmers, of the London Mission. to permit me to send it to the REVIEW. It speaks of the Chinese Church waking up from the lethargy that has characterized it and beginning to realize that it too has the commission, • Go,' 'make di~ciples.' That it should adopt new methods tells of life with movement.
"Yours very truly, JOHN C. 'fHOllPSON, M.A., M.D." the Canton "Book-lending and Evangelizing Society," the perusal of which has left a strong impression upon my mind that the conquering of the province is no mere dream, but they mean to do it. It is no exaggeration to say that for earnestness of purpose and breadth of view these tracts resemble far more chapters of General Booth edited by Mr. Stead than any utterance of natives of Canton. If these publications were translated into English as good as the Chinese is, which I hope they may be, they wou~d astonish English readers, whether friends of missions or not, by their completeness of detail, by their eloquence of appeal, and perhaps, most of all, by their thoroughly business-like character. In this last feature they present a striking contrast to General Booth's scheme, for no conceivable point seems to have been overlooked in the way of safeguarding the application of the funds.
As is fit and needful, this scheme originated in a prayer.meeting. It appears that the native members of six missions-Presbyterian, Wesleyan, Congregational, Baptist, and Lutheran-have been wont to hold a joint prayer-meeting once every two months, and at such a meeting about three years ago the scheme of a book-lending society was devised. The name is a modest one. Book-lending, provided the books are on hand, most of us find easy. Only about the returning, which is part of the programme, there is sometimes a difficulty. There are about a hundred districts in Canton Province, and it is proposed to send a book-lender into each district. The books are to be the Holy Scriptures, commentaries, other Christian books and tracts, and works on European science. There is a great variety of such books procurable; but a judicious selection is to be made by the managing committee, which consists entirely of Chinese. Nothing is asked from foreign sources except the books, which are cheerfully supplied by the Bible and Tract Societies .in Great Britain and America. A fund for the purchase of books amounting to $1379 has been placed in charge of foreign missionaries to be paid out as required. Beyond this it does not appear that the missionaries have any share in the concern, or any direct control of it. The constituents are the native Christians in town and country, in Hong Kong, in America, in Australia, and wherever else they may be, who are all invited to subscribe, and assured that, whether it be a mite or ten thousand dollars, each subscription will be duly acknowledged for the encouragement of others, and carefully devoted to book-lending purposes. The centre of administration is at Kukfau, in the vicinity of Dr. Kerr's Hospital, Canton. There, at bi-monthlyand annual meetings, all subscribers may' attend personally or by their deputies, and vote on or discuss any matter of the Society, as is done in Exeter Hall by similar bodies of supporters. A full staff of officebearers, a managing committee, and an advisory committee, have been appointed by impartial selection from the six missions. It is stated in the programme, that when the scheme of the Society is matured the foreign missionaries will bl) asked to endorse. And it is declared that the object of the Society is not to baptize or form churches, not to settle questions of terms or dogmas, not even to preach (lest they should thereby gefinto difficulties with one another, or with the heathen), but, in the first instance, quietly to circulate Christian literature in every city, market town, and hamlet in the province of Canton. The book-lending is, howevet, to be followed, after two or three years, by a general offering of prizes for the best essays by non-Christians on Christianity and kindred subjects; and then again, in due time, by the establishment of permanent centres of Christian work, when each of the missions will be invited to come in and take a share in the wide field thus opened, in order to form and build up churches. There are eighteen very practical rules laid down for the conduct of book-lenders. They are to be plain, honest, peace-loving men chosen from the Canton churches, who are willing to serve in this capacity for a consideration of $6 a month. They take with them, besides the books, a small supply of stationery for sale, by way of introduction to schoolmasters in the villages. Books are, of course, to be lent only to schoolmasters and such other respectable residents as can read; and they are lent on trial with the prices marked, a register being kept of the place, the person borrowing, the date, and the book lent, and an intimation given that the lender will return, say, a month after to inquire, and effect a sale or an exchange as may be desired. The lenders are to avoid disputes with the natives, not to resent rudeness, but take it as a thing to be expected, and even if harm is done to the books, they are to be content with the smallest compensation or apology. The only literary qualification necessary in a lender is ability to keep his register and make his report, which is to be transmitted every two months through the nearest mission station.
About $400 have been subscribed, and four book-lenders are at work for the present year in the Prefecture of Shiu-chow on the North River. A letter from one of them giving his report for the first two months is published, and is highly satisfactory.
It is an article of the Society's constitution never to spend the whole of the income in any year, but to accumulate a reserve fund, to be invested for the permanent carrying on of the ever-increasing operations of the Society.
It seems but fair to all concerned, and to the cause of Christian missions, to give publicity to the above statement; and I do not think that I have laid myself open to any charge of trumpet-blowing by giving to the public an abstract of these pamphlets, showing the beginnings of what may turn out to be a very important movement in favor of the Christian leligion in the south of China. At all events this is something to set off against the brutal and Satanic attacks of the Hunanese.-Cltina Mail.
INDUS'l'RIAL EDUCATION OF WOMEN IN FOREIGN FIELDS
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION OF WOMEN IN FOREIGN FIELDS.
BY MRS. J. T. GRACEY.
Industrial schoolI have come to be of great importance in foreign mission work. The Rev. D. A. Day, of the Muhlenberg Mission, Africa, says: "The mission of the Gospel is to develop nan, not in one direction only, but in his entire being. Give the heathen simply brain culture without teaching him industrial habits, and you have a fool. Take a naked heathen boy, put him in a mission, feed and clothe him without teaching him to work, and you have a man vain in his imaginations. To train the young people of Africa into habits of productive industry is essential to the redemption of the Dark Continent.", The Bishop of Sierra Leone says: "The great need of Africa is not the importation of an army of clerics, but of Christian men and women able to teach the natives useful callings," and on a recent visit to England made arrangements to take out a numbel' of carpenters and agricultural implements, so that all the children in his diocese should be taught some trade. What is true of Africa is true of all mission lands. Some one has said that " honest toil is not an article of complexion," and this lesson needs to be taught to many connected with our missions. In the Methodist Mission in India the Christian boys are taught to make wire mattresses, foldingchairs, boots and shoes of all kinds, and in the Presbyterian Mission Persian rugs of all sizes are made in its carpet shop, in which only Christian labor is employed. So we could mention various lines in which boys are trained; but another problem confronts the missionary force. Bow to take care of the girls and give them proper trades and employment-that is the problem troubling many of our missionaries. Educate the women, and it is surprising what avenues are open to them. Miss Hedrick, the principal for years of the Calcutia boarding-school connected with the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Church, wrote a very excellent article in a recent number of the Indian Evangelical Review on the " Future of Educated Girls in India," in which sbe says, " When one seeks for something tangible to lay bold of, this subject becomes the veriest will-o'-the-wisp, dazzling for a moment, but persistently eluding the grasp. When I came to India I was often called upon to settIe disputes between my pupils about the respectability of labor. All agreed that certain work was respectable; other class of work was for low-caste people only." She luggests a revolution in old-time practices in India, and says, "Turn the men out into the fields, the foundry, the factory, and let the girl take her place in the hospital, at the desk, in the shop. Let men stop their dressmaking and sewing, and give such work to the women, to whom it properly belongs; let them stop sweeping and making beds, and then this work will drift into the hands of women." She then pleads for the industrial school, and the training of girls in specialties. " Teach them," she says, " to do one thing, and to do it well. Our educated girl must be Christian first; and when willing, yea, anxious to do and be all that God intended her to do and be, just as surely as God made her will she find her place and work."
The native Christian girls of India are many of them taking respoqsible positions. One graduate of a miesion school has charge of one of the Lady Dufferin hospitals, some are clerks in dispensaries, another has been appointed to the charge of a post-office-a thing unknown before in India– and some are in charge of waiting rooms at railway stations.
An industrial school for Mohammedan women was established recently at Guntur by the American Lutheran Mission, the only school of its kind in Southern India. The wives of poor Mohammedans are often obliged to support themselves and their children. To keep a respectable character and earn a livelihood is a difficult question often to settle. These women are paid according to ability in work, the highest receiving about six cents a day, and this is a larger sum than they could get elsewhere. In connection with their work they have one hour devoted to Bible instruction. They have also secular iustruction. The industry taught is Mohammedan embroidery. The patterns are Oriental, worked in gold and silver, brass and silk thread. Their work I ".s been sent to America, England, and Australia, and found a ready sale. A writer says: "A marvellous change has taken place in the workwomen since they first entered the school. When they began to go to the school they were lazy, dirty, and ignorant; now they are growing into careful, energetic, quick women. The pretty patterns, the bright colors, the order around them, have an elevating effect upon them. Every opportunity is used to introduce lady visitors to the school, and these visits bring a bit of the bright outside world into the cramped lives of the poor women. For months after the visit of the collector's wife the women talked of the wonderful English visitors. The lady assistant in charge of the school talks to the women during working hours of the duties of wives and mothers, the care of children, simple remedies for the sick, and gives practical hints concerning general housekeeping. "
In Pithoragarh, a station in the Himalayas, some forty women support themselves by working on the farm in connection with the Home for the Homeless. During the harvest season the missionary spends hours in the field directing the work, and these women are paid the usual ~ages for such work.
In the city of Lucknow a home for women is maintained by the work of the women. They are trained in the use of the sewing-machine, and do plain and fancy sewing and embroidery.
A woman's workshop has been opened in Rangoon, Burma. A large building is rented on one of the principal streets, a forewoman is employed, who lives on the premises, who devotes her time to overseeing the work and receiving orders, and' some sixty women are here making their own living.
18113.] PASTOR-TEACHERS' TRAINING
Some curious information has recently been brought out in regard to the occupations of native Indian women_ In some statistics furnished by the government, we find women reported as officers of local and village government, some as officers of national government, and others as officers of independent States and Governments. We find some as authors, a few as artists, some in mercantile occupations, quite a large number employed in construction of houses, and some as shipbuilder!! and workers in precious metals.
PASTOR-TEACHERS' TRAINING.
BY C. P. HARD, NARSINGHPUR, CENTRAL PROVINCES, INDIA. • This problem has been confronting us for two years. Special success among sweepers, and some advantage gained among mat-makers and a few workers in leather, with a sprinkling from other classes, began in this place on September 29th, 1890.
In four sub-circuits, for a hundred miles along the Grand Indian Penin- , sular Railway, in the eastern part of the Nerbadda Valley, we directed that the new workeI'l!, forty chosen gradually from these classes, should gather at central points for weckly instruction by the older catechist in charge. We called at these points as often as possible. The Rev. Paul Singh went the rounds during the hot months, too; but we were on the lookout for a trained instructor for these pastor-teachers. With the transfer of this station by Bishop Thoburn from our brethren, the Swedes, we also received a letter from sixteen hundred miles away from Mr. H. W. Butterfield, for a long time head clerk and head master for the Government. He proposed to go on pension and give the rest of his life to educating Christians at Narsinghpllr, where he had once been in Government duties. He is assisted by a man from the Bareilly Theological Seminary. Vole have fifty men and boys in the morning school for reading, writing, spelling, and geography, but the Scriptures are the special subject of study.
The first class, a dozen, is to be scattered among the villages at the close of the year, after the District Conference shall have again been held here, and they shall all have had the adv"'-ntages of the Christmas-tree, their first celebration.
Miss Nash has a day school for the wives of students. The married families live in the numerous out-offices of these two mission compounds. The single men, beyond those who have homes in the town or live with relatives, are housed in the ample old rest near the town. Epworth evening debates are lively on themes which are vital to the thought of these men, whose friends are yet so largely in heathenism, or who on the border-land see men as trees walking. We have had compulsory side taking, half the alphabet for and half against propositions regarding callte, idolatrous customs, early marriage, and such questions as, " Shall we employ the young or those over twenty years in the mission~" "Shall we go at once to our fields or stay here for preparation F' "Is it well to buy and sell wives Y" and for to-night it is to be, " Is it right under any circumstances to have more than one wife!" Though they admire Abraham, we shall have a later authority to offset any inference that Sarah's advice would be tolerated in this dispensation.
All the means of grace find prompt participation, all pray, all testify, all are hearty in learning new hymns, all preach in the streets, all do some work in the villages, as Saturdays and Sundays they are free to visit their homes or are appointed to duty, and some are detailed for tours to help the evangelists who are in the districts j but JURt now it is chiefly the obedience to the command to " tarry" for the preparation.
SOUTH AMER!CA AND 'l'HE PAPACY
SOUTH AMERICA AND THE PAPACY.
BY REV. GEORGE W. CHAMBERLAIN, D.D., BRAZIL, SOUTH AMERICA.
Crowning the "Hay-stack" Monument at Williamstown is a marble globe. The lands in view as you approach that memorial of the" pray- ing club" from the front are Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Only as you retreat from it, facing it, on the rear, does South America ap- pear. It lies on the western slope of the globe and bathes in the warm sunshine of the afternoon.
Even so in the history of the ever-unfolding drama of Redemption, in the growth of the" Oity of God," whose limits extend to the" uttermost parts" of the earth, South America is coming in our day into full view, in that all including providence of the wheel within a wheel. By force of the Divine plan it will come yet more into the prominence for which it was of old prepared, and unto which it has been reserved until the fulness of times.
PREPARED OF OLD.
The idea which held the prow of the ship which Columbus commanded steadily to the West when an unbelieving crew clamored to put about the helm was no new idea, however much so it appeared to the men of that day. It was God's idea, communicated with such force to the mind of a rough sailor that he had to follow it, even as the Magi the star which they in the East had seen. It led to a land prepared of old to be the theatre for the " gathering of the nations." The continent from which he sailed away had been a divider of the nations, for the which also it was of old ordained. But the time was full for the" discovery" of that continent which should gather into its ample hosoms dispersed humanity, and there suckle and nourish it " until we all come to the stature of the perfect man in Christ Jesus." For Humanity is One. And He hath made of one blood all nations. He will prove it against all the vaporings of " philosophy falsely so called," or the crudities of "science," which has yet many things to learn, when it shall clothe itself with humility and sit at the feet of Wisdom (Proverbs viii.). Humanity, harassed and hamlJered on the old continent, has been for more than a hundred years seeking rest on the northern bosom of the Western Continent. It seemed as if the milk of human kindness would flow forever toward the oppressed of all nations from that breast of Mother Earth called the United States of America. No doubt it will ; but just now, in the year of our Lord 1892, and of Columbus 400, the supply is running short, and the Asiatic, including China's millions, " must go." Go where ~ To Ireland-to the only land which the Irish don't govern ~ No! for Ireland, like China, is casting out her children. Where shall they go ~ They will go precisely where they were foreordained to go by that wisdom which the Lord possessed in the beginning of His way, before'His works of old . . • while as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust (Dust thou art, 0 man I). Where is that ~ Let physical geography-God's handwriting in " depths" and" fountains abounding with water," in " mountains settled" and" hills"- answer. The course of human progress has beoo predeter- mined by the contour and relief of the earth's surface. If the old hemi- sphere said, " Scatter," the new says, "Gather." And they will gather despite all laws of men in Congress assembled; in virtue of the law of God, who not only" hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth," but also " hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation." The" wrath of man" against his fellow shall help to carry out this plan. South America's time has come. She is now unbaring her bosom to all nations of men. Notable coincidence! At the crisis when the United States of America is saying, " Go" to the Chinese, the United States of Brazil is forced by economic reasons to say, " The Chinese must come." Africa contributed her quota, but African slave labor has had its day. European free labor comes slowly to the rescue and is sparse. South America stretches out her arms to Asia in the year of our Lord 1892. No longer can the Pope divide this southern continent and give it to whom he will. He, too, has had his day. Papacy in South America has been " found out."
Members of the congress of all American nations visiting in the" City of Brotherly Love" said to the gentleman who led them in worship at Girard College: "There is not a man of us who does not know that the greatest foe of liberty of our nations is Rome;" not Rome of Victor Immanuel, but Rome of " His Holiness." "The Pope and the Council" has been allowed to run out of print in its English edition, which is only one of the many symptoms of the blindness which has happened to English-speaking peoples. A Portuguese edition lies before me, translated and edited, with a notable introduction, by a foremost statesman of SOl).th America. "Of all emergent questions," he says, " none equals in reach, none exceeds in urgency, the religious. . " No one ignores that the pontifical Church is an organization universal, an ambition nniversal, a plan universal. . . . The evolutions of her tactics. are reproducing themselves in America with the same strategy as in Europe. The features of the papacy will be always identical with those of to-day, and each time more accented, because on the one hand its spl:rit, child of a gestation multisecular, incarnated in the most marvellously wise of all centralizations, and chained to the interests of an innumerable caste, can by no man be transformed; and on the other, the galvanic life of this institution, inwardly decomposed by the vices on which it feeds, has its secret in the reactionary audacity which constitutes its type. The papacy goes its way . • . it can perish more easily than go back."
Availing himself of the book of " Janus," "the most notable product and the most expressive symptom of Christian re-birth of the nineteenth century," " one of those rock-books of perennial tempestivity which abide, transmitted from generation to generation," this writer contributes some solid material to the instauration of religious liberty in the South American States. He speaks not from the religious, but from the political standpoint when he says: "It may be seen there (in' Janus ') with noonday clearness how from that millennial superposition of vices, abuses, and crimes; • . • from a system of falsification, employed indefatigably upon the Holy Scriptures, upon canonical and patristic collections, upon acts of synods, the liturgy and the imperial history, arose and was forn:ed that idolatry of pontifical infallibility which places the whole invincible abysm of the Gospel between the Church of Rome and the Christ. . •. The substantial character of the book (' The Pope and the Council ') is a rigorously historic demonstration of the intimate and exclusively political natu1'e of the papacy. • • ." It is demonstrated that Romanism is not religion but politics, and the most vicious, the most unscrupulous, and the most pestilent of all politics. Sketching rapidly the" incursions of the pontifical primacy in national churches, its usurpations in the bosom of States, and the repeated and peremptory denials of catholicity to the infallibilist presumptions of the tiara i" evidencing" the absolute identity between the idea of infallibility and that of omnipotence in the jurisdiction of heaven and in that of earth;" proving" the incompatibility, philosophically and practically irreconcilable, between the syllabus-that abominable symbol of papolatry-and any modern constitution," he ventilates the religious question in all its relations, and indicates the natural and definite solution of the problem.
.A FREE CHURCH IN A FREE STATE• .A State free from the dominion of the Church and the Church free from the papacy is an aspiration of young South America. For three centuries she held her breath at the bidding of the Pope; but her breast is heaving with the breath of the .Almighty. It bccomes articulate in the language of South .American statesmen. "A curia Romana has been at all times a potency only nominally religious, and always intimately, essentially, and indefatigably political. Religion, moral authority, for long centuries has not been for the papacy anything else than the occasion, the means, or the pretext for interference in the temporal administration of the State. "
" The heresy of domination is the greatest of heresies against the cross, because it transforms into a word of discord for human societies the word of Him who, to bring them peace, instituted the universal city in the higher world, vos de mundo hoc estis, ego non sum de hoc mundo."
., Rome has not renounced the principle that the Pope is the Lord over cru.wned heads, and has power to release subjects from their oaths of fidelity." "Gregory VII. left in his doctrines to papal Rome a tradition which has not ceased until now to be the soul of the Roman Church. . • ." " If the Holy See received from God the power to pronounce sentence in spiritual things, why not in temporal things also? The episcopate is as much superior to royalty as gold is superior to lead ; well did Constantine know it when, among bishops, he took the last place." "The prince (or in modern States the gov~rnment, parliaments, and cabinets) who incurs in heresy loses all authority. Subjects can, and ought when they can, rebel against him. This theory is a point of faith admitted by all theologians worthy of note in Rome. . . . It is to be noted that Rome has not repudiated. these principles. She has left them in reserve because she lacks coercitive resources."
"Papal centralization • . • the continual invasion of the temporal authority by the Church, gave us Protestantism. The' heresy' dominant in the sixteenth century was resistance to the abusive Roman unity•••• A counter-blast was needed. The Jesuits appeared. Instituted in a century full of vital energy, in a century of intellectual, political, and religious resurrection, they consubstantiated in themselves in an unheard-of degree all the principles hostile to these three vivifying forces of the world. Rome breathed her soul into the company. The order is not the evil genius of the papacy, but its delectable offspring. A rule of evangelical wisdom, proverbial everywhere, teaches us to know the tree by its fruit. Wherever Jesuitism has taken root no one can find any difference between its fruits and those of the soil where the papacy reigns directly, absolutely, visibly.
"Cast your eyes on the States of the Church before the fall of the temporal power-sad evidence of the sterilized virtues of the theocracy. There the observer encounters the most authentic and instructive example of the absorption of the individual conscience by absolutism exercised in the nallie of heaven. The social state wherever their principles have been filtered in during generations was never anything but the lowest.
" There is Paraguay-Paraguay, the prime work of the Jesuits, their boast, the miracle of their beneficent propaganda, the mysterious land of blessing with which they deluded, in Europe, even sincere and illustrious wen like Chateaubriand! Even to this day they describe that as a para- * dise. ' Paraguay,' says Padre Sambin, 'presented marvels similar to those of the first Christian centuries.' , In a few -years,' says another Jesuit, praising his own order, t 'the most savage tribes formed, under their influence, model societies, such as philosophy could never create in the bosom of civilized peoples; THE MOST PERFECT REPRODUCTION OF EDEN which it has been possible to obtain from our fallen nature.' 'These marvels,' he adds, ' the Catholic apostolate created in the past century in Paraguay, and can yet renew them.' Says the Brazilian author: 'Yet five years of war, in which our armies (the allied forces of Brazil, Argentine, and Urugnay) penetrated the interior of that country enabled us to judge of Edenic state idealized and desired by Jesuitism.'
" Everyone knows what we found there-a nation of creatures debased below slavery, without law, without rights, without tribunals, without government, without morality, social or domestic, without family, without * Da Cornpautria, Histoire du Concile, Lyon, 1872, t Ramiere, Lea doctrine romaines, Paris, 1870, instruction, without industry, without commerce-a tribe of fanatics poor to penury, savage even to ferocity. This is Jesuistic Catholicism which Roman Catholicism boasts of as the most perfect image of heaven on earth, as an ideal superior to all civilized peoples. • •• Behold the prosperity which our Catholic party (political) reserves for their fellow-countrymen."
I have quoted largely from the book" 0 Papa e 0 Concilio," by the eminent writer and patriotic Brazilian senator, Ruy Barboza, that the readers of the MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD may see not through the ('yes of a missionary, but of an enlightened South American statesman what papacy has done and is expected to do in this region of the world.
Iii there no brighter side ~ Thank God, answering to this cry of distress and dire need, the heart of the Church beats responsively, and already the blessing of the Lord on the efforts of the past thirty-three years (one generation) has created self-sustaining churches in Brazil and other South American republics, so that if a relative progress is observed it will not be many generations until this will cease to be a missionary field except in the sense of home missions. These are already begun. MisswB Nacionws at least, in Brazil, is an established arm of service. By the fund thus called, to which all churches and all individual believers are urged to contribute as the Lord prospers them, weak churches are yearly rising to self-support and becoming in turu nursing mothers. A Revista de Missws Nacionws, edited by one of our ablest nati va ministers, is contributing to create and foster the spirit of self-help throughout the bounds of the Brazilian Church. Many affecting examples might be given of those who give to the extent of their power and beyond it.
Into this field the Y. M. C. A. entered a year ago in the person of their first secretary, Myron A. Clark. He has justly merited the sympathy of Brazilian Christians, and now that he has begun to use fluently the Portuguese will soon be able to communicate with the youth of the land. I append some notes of Mr. Clark.
Things accomplished: (1) Organization in Sao Pr.ulo of a young men's Bible class, to study special association course; lessons being published weekly in the Exposi,- tor. Average attendance, 13. (2) Adoption of resolution, assuring support, sympathy, and co-operation by the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil. (3) Adoption of similar resolution by the Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Brazil. Difficulties : (1) Lack of preparation among young men. (2) Lack of realization of duty, value and privilege of Bible study. (3) Lack of desire for personal aggressive work among their fellows. Hopes for future : (1) To stimulate a desire for and appreciation of Bible study. (2) To arOURe on the part of Christian young men an earnest effort to evangelize their fellows. (3) Regular organizations later in such cities as Rio and Sao Paulo.
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
n.-INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
EDITED AND CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GBACEY, D.D.
THE OVERLOOK AND OUTLOOK. pire. A clear view of its history and effects gives one strength and inspira- A. NEW YEAR'S SYMPOSIUM. tion. What has it done in Turkey in a little over fifty years? It has introduced 1893. femrue education and compelled its ac- ceptance. It has done much toward re- The Outlook. storing the home as God intended it to exist. It has brought forth or spurrea BY BISI£OP J. M. THOBURN, D.D., CALCUTTA, on to efficiency whole systems of educa- tion. It has done more than anything INDIA. else in the vast interior of the country, not to say in the chief cities, to bring in The present outlook is the best since enlightened medical practice, and drive Carey's trumpet was first sounded. The old systems to the wall and make them era of experiment is over now, and the a laughing-stock. It has given the Bible time for action has fully come. All do and a considerable body of excellent not realize it, and some do not believe literature to the people in several lan- U; but every year adds to the number guages. It has brought into being hunof those who dismiss their scruples and dreds of evangelical congregations, with their fears and hasten to thrust their schools and meeting-places, these being well on the road to self-support. It has sickles int~ the first ripe field of golden introduced colleges and seminaries for both sexes. It has founded hospitals grain which they find within reach. I and orphanages. It has brought forth am confident that before the year 1900 missionary societies. It has diffused every missionary body in India will be general intelligence. It has, in some found fully committed to the great work ways, made as great a difference between of gathering in converts by the score the first half and the last half of this and the hundred and nurturing them .century, in that country, as there is befor God and heaven. I shall be sur- tween the sixteenth and the nineteenth prised and disappointed indeed if the in Europe. ingathering of the next eight years does not exceed that of the previous ninety- What, then, is the prospect? If the two. The converts may be from the Gospel of Christ exert its benign and ranks of the lowly, but the lowly of this peaceful influence for half a century century will be the leaders of the next. more, as it has for half a century past, it The Brahman must accept Christ, or see will increase light and knowledge, prothe pariah walk past him in the rltce of mote love and good-will, multiply happy progress. The first converts in India homes, reform abuses, alleviate the will be the Brahmans of a future genera- woes of infancy and age, develop public tion. Already the valleys' have com· spirit and promote social improvement menced to rise. and the mountains are -all these secondary things it will do, beginning to be brought low. Now, as as it has been doing, till that shall bein ancient days, God is choosing for come a pleasant land to dwell in; all Himself a people who were not a people, these secondary things will it do, but, and in the sight of all the nations a better than all, it will do what it has worm shall be chosen with which to been doing-make peace between man's thresh the mountain. soul and his God, purify the heart, and teach man, while living here below, to Results and Prospects in Turkey, live as a citizen of the heavenly country, BY REV. C. C. TBACY, MARSOVAN.
Before the Crimean War evangelism had begun its work in the Turkish Em- "The Poor have the Gospel Preached did the Macedonian cry sound 110 loudly to Them." as at the present moment.
BY REV. CYRUS HAMLIN, D.D., LEXINGTON, " O'er the desert's burning sands, O'er the ocean's stormy wave, MASS. Voices cry from distant lands, The highest glory of modern missions Come to help us! Come to save I" is that unto the poor the Gospel is preached. Its greatest triumphs are And veteran toilers in the foreign field, among the poor-the common people. as they fall, one after another, echo with It should be so; for emphasis the words of Father Gulick, of the Sandwich Islands, uttered just be- 1. It is ill accord with the spirit and fore his death: "The nearer I get to example of Christ. He gave to the meso eternity the more grand and momentous sengers of John as proofs of His mes- does the cause of missions appear. In siahship, "The dead are raised, and comparison with this, how insignificant unto the poor the Gospel is preached." the pursuit of earthly pleasures, riches, or honor !" 2. They are the chief part of the human race. The common people in Naturally my own vision turns par. all heathen lands may justly be called ticularly to Southeastern Africa, where the poor. I have spent most of my life, and where the outlook is full of encouragement. I 3. They are the most accessible. The thank God that the British South Africa common people heard Him gladly. The Company, dominates so large a territory missionary churches in all lands have populated by tribes which for centuries very fe w converts among the rich and have been sunk in superstition and adprosperohs. dicted to barbarous customs. Of the Bantu race, numbering, it is supposed, 4. They constitute the brightest ex· about one fourth the population of Afriamples of the transforming power of the ca, the most interesting are those speak- Gospel. Out of these poor, degraded, ing the Zulu dialect, all of whom are ac. ignorant people come forth men and cessible, if we except the Amazimu, on women of saintly character, of superior Lake Tanganyika, to missionary opera. mental endowments, pure in life, un- tions. God in His providence has sent selfish, consecrated to the service of the the Anglo-Saxon race to the southern Lord, often not counting their lives dear part of the continent to prepare the way unto them. This is a transformation for the dissemination of His truth. which the world is compelled to take Laborers of the A. B. C. F. M. have been knowledge of. busy, during the past fifty years, in stocking the divine arsenal wit.h weapons 5. They are furnishing the agents for to use in the " holy war" that is to be the world's conversion. In God's good waged in conquering for Christ, Africans time they will rise into all the places of widely extended, but with a common power, for "the people shall be all kinship, ethnologically and linguisti. righteous," and the whole world shall cally considered. The Bible, religious haTe one Lord, one faith, and one bap. tracts, and elementary school books in tism in the Spirit. the Zulu language are available.
Signs of the Times in South Africa. The Zulu Mission has made a new de. parture, the result of which will be can· BY REV. JOSIAH TYLER, D.D., ST. JOHNS· templated with interest. I refer to the sending of Bome of its members to initio BURY, VT. ate work in the northern part of Gaza. land, with the promise of protection The most encouraging sign of the from its chief, Gungunyana. We have times, viewed in relation to the world's reason to believe that Natal natives, evangelization, is, in my opinion, the fact that nearly all parts of it are open And ready to receive the Gospel. Never graduates of the theological school, will labor, in treaty stipulation with Christian soon follow, and under the guidance of Powers. white missionaries, do good work for the Master in that new field. The Bible is translated into the lan- guages used by nearly nine tenths of these In Natal itself the missionary pros- vast multitudes of people. Christian pects were never brighter. labors have already been commenced in aU these lands. Converts have been Then and Now. made, churches organized, schools and colleges have been established, Christian BY REV. A. P. HAPPER, D.D., GLENSHAW, teachers and preachers have been train- ed, and a Christian literature prepared PA. in all these lands. The fields are every- where white to the harvest. Those who The outlook for missions is as hope- go forth now enter into the labors of ful as the providences and promises of their predecessors. These are a few of God can make it. the favoring providences of God. How great and glorious they are ! Our blessed Lord said : "All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth. Go The promises are all " yea" and ye, therefore, and teach all nations. " amen." "I will pour out My spirit Lo, I am with you always, unto the end upon all flesh." "All the ends of the of the world." For three hundred years earth shall see His salvation." "The after the ascension of our Lord, His dis- knowledge of God shall cover the whole ciples, in carrying out the commission, eaTth." "The kingdoms of this world were subject to persecutions,revilings, have become the kingdom of the Lord scourgings, imprisonments, and martyr- and of His Christ." The outlook, theredom by the authorities and people in ac- fore, of Christian mission is as hopeful cOl'dance with the laws of the empire of and sure as the existence and faithful- Rome. These things existed in addition ness of God. Heaven and earth shall to the ignorance, superstition, idolatry, pass away; but not one jot or tittle of wickedness and enmity to God which all that God hath spoken shall fail of a everywhere filled the hearts of the peo- glorious accomplishment. ple. With the accession 6f Constantine to the throne this exposure to legalized The Day is Dawning. opposition and violence was r(lmoved, and freedom and safety in the prosecu- BY REV. ALONZO BUNKER, D.D., TOUNGOO, tion of evangelistic work were secured. BURMA. A hundred years ago, when the first Protestant missionaries were sent forth, When Dr. Judson was once asked, the lands in which the 800,000 hea· after several years of labor in Burma, then and Moslems Jived were closed without a single convert, "What the to the entrance of the missionaries. prospect of success was?" he replied, The whole of Asia and Africa were "Success is as sure as the promises of closed. Now the countries in which the God." 1,000,000,000 of the non-Christian populations are, are open to the unrestricted In any outlook for success on mission entrance of the missionaries of the cross. fields, the promises of God afford a sure There is safe and comfortable convey-' resting-place for the feet of the weary ance on the vessels of commerce to every worker, and by faith the future is full land. In every land the messengers of of a glorious victory. Jesus" shall see the Gospel are under the protection of of the travail of his soul and be satisthe rulers of the Christian Powers of the fied." world. The free use of all evangelizing agencies and the liberty to converts to In the present age, however, there are profess Christianity are guaranteed by many" signs of the times" which give the rulers of the lands in which they us a lively hope of great successes in the near future, These signs 'are so manifest that it seems almost presumption cannot fail to show ~ remarkable mto mention them. crease of missionary knowledge and zeal First is the noticeable unrest among in Christian lands. The organized work those heathen nations with which the for the instruction of youth in all Chris Gospel has had most to do. Both among tian work, the practical results of this the Hindus and the Buddhist races teaching, as well as a drawing together their leaders are putting forth so maDY and a better organization among God's efforts to steady the ark of their faith people generally, is a wonderful adthat it is evident that they regard it in vance on the past. Taking this great danger. These attempts to adjust old movement as a response, under the faiths to the new light indicate their col- direction of the Holy Spirit, to inlapse, which may be much nearer than creasing calls from heathen lands, we many think. The Paramats of Burma, are obliged to stand with uncovered the Buddhist revivals in China and heads, for it is the work of our God. Japan, and the Brahmo.somaj of India He creates the call and prepares the anare but" signs of the tiwes. " swer. He sets the battle and plans the victory. Again, as God has a perfect plan in the natural, so in the spiritual world. Finally, the success of such evangel- " Even the hairs of your head .are num- ists as Miiller, Somerville, Pentecost. hered." So His places for the kingdom and others among nations where, a fllw of His Son are laid with infinite care, years ago, they would be neither reeven in the minutest detail. He calls ceived nor understood, is significant. His servants, chooses the nations He This, with the rapid progress of the will use, and plant.. His strategic cen- English language among Eastern natres of light wi th Divine wisdom. Look- tions, leads us to believe that the time is ing for this plan in work alreadyaccom- near when a nation shall be born in a plished, there is enough revealed to day. Yes! The day is dawning, and make the outlook for the immediate God's weary workers may well congratufuture full of thrilling anticipations. late each other, for all these things be- token a speedy proclamation of the This is true, not only among the more Gospel to all nations of the earth, and civilized races, hut emphatically so then cometh the end. among the" no peoples" who have been reached by the Gospel. Who could South America. have anticipated the results which have been achieved among the despised races BY BEV. CHARLES W. DREES, D.D., BUENOS of India? What a glorious outlook for the future of the Redeemer's kingdom, AIRES, ARGENTINA. through the zeal which they show in proclaiming the truth, even among their Doubtless each of the great mission former masters! fields of the Church possesses its own characteristic features of interest which Again, wherever we look there is, in constitute for each its own peculiar all the world, a marshalling of forces for claim upon the sympathy and help of or against our Lord. In heathen lands those who are engaged in the work of the work of the last century has been sending the Gospel message to a world largely preliminary. That work is now lying in darkness and in sin. near completion. Spiritual forces are cumulative. For this reason statistics South America, though perhaps least always fail to represent spiritual resnlts. heard of and least thought of, has its This massing of spiritual forces shows own case to urge, its own plea to make. us that the great battle is about to be And surely it has some special claim joined ; and this means victory, for our upon the interest of the churches of Captain was never defeated. A com- America. parison of the present with the past It is an American mission field. Its people share with us the heritage given By a marvellous historic development to the world by the penetrating genius, under the gllidance of that Providence the mighty faith and the God.sustained, which administers the government of indomitable perseverance of Coillmblls. this world with a view to its redemp- It is constitllted a mission field by the tion, this whole continent has been fact that its predominant religiolls opened to the proclamation of the Gos- thought and life are determined by a pel. With the siugle exception of Equa.
perverted and corrupted form of the dar, there are everywhere to be found Christian faith, while in the heart of religious toleration founded upon legal the continent there still remains the enactment, or upon a well-defined and darkness of paganism, unillumined by intelligent public conviction, a strong a single ray of the Light of the World. sentiment among inllllential men in This field, therefore, invites to each of favor of the prosecution of our evan- two chief forms of mission work. On gelical work, hearts prepared to receive the one hand it calls for the continu- the message and embrace the truth, and ance among peoples of Latin origin of frllits already gathered which are God's the work of the Reformation, which in seal of ap'proval upon the work already the sixteenth century won such mighty done and His call to the wide-open victories among the nations of Central doors which no man can shut.
and Northern Europe, while it was so strangely hindered in its progress and finally completely paralyzed among the Under the Southern Oross. Latin peoples of Southern Europe. On the other hand, it invites to the first MIsSIONS IN AUSTBALIA.
evangelization of pagan tribes who have BY REV. ROBERT STEEL, D.D., NEW SOUTH for centuries resisted the efforts of WALES. Roman Catholic missionaries, and have as yet never had the offer of a pure Gos- At the Federal Assembly of the Pres- pel teaching held out to them. A con- byterian Chllrches of Australia and Tas- tinent with 23,000,000 of Spanish and mania, held at Adelaide, in September, Portuguese mixed races, with 3,000,000 some interesting particulars were given of negro freedmen, and 40,000,000 of regarding the missions in Australia.
pagan Indians surely offers a vast field These embrace Chinese, the aborigines, for evangelization. and the Kanakas or Polynesians. Re- It is a continent of American repub- garding the latter there are some strik- lics, with ten nations who have modelled ing facts. There are now 9000 in Qlleens- their civil institutions after those of land. Several missionaries are working the United States of North America, among them. The Presbyterian mis- yet are lacking in that sense of indi- sionary is at Walkerstown, in a centre of vidual responsibility to God and regard 16 plantations. He has 1800 under in- for His revealed Word which are the struction, 233 of whom have been bap- only sure ground for truly republican tized. A great change for the better institutions. If we are to maintain has resulted from his labors. These American institutions for all America, natives are now learning habits of thrift, we must give the Bible and the faith of and they have $100,000 in the savings the Bible to South America. banks.
This continent, considered as a mis- The aboriginal mission in Northern sion field, has been left to the Christian Queensland is making progress. The churches of North America. The great government Resident at Thursday missionary societies of Great Britain Island lately visited the States, and and continental Ellrope have relegated expressed a hope that many more of to us the evangelization of this Western sllch might be established and a mis- world. sion vesst>l secured, New Hebrides. who loved us and gave Himself for us.
THE NANUA SLAVE TRAFFIC. We believe that the Gospel is the only real civilizer of man wherever found; BY RloIV. J. G. PATON, D.D. all brought under its power and influ. ence soon enjoy all the blessings of civ- Mr. Sawers, who was murdered lately ilization which accompany it and follow on Santo, was not "a young English in its train. The Master's advice is, missionary." as stated, but a trader liv- " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and ing on Santo. He had just been mar- His righteousness, and all other things ried to a British woman, to whom he shall be added unto you."
had been engaged for some twelve years; Many lives were taken, and are yet but instead of taking his bride with him taken, by the cannibals of those islands to his home, he left her at the mission who have not been reached by the en.
house of Rev. Joseph Annand, M.A., lightening, sanctifying power of the who had celebrated the marriage, and Gospel ; but on the twenty islands our went off in his boat avowedly to prepare mission occupies, life and property are his house for her. On reaching his sta. now comparatively safe, and they will tion, the Santo natives murdered him, become safe on all, as the natives are led for some reason unknown to us ; but to love and serve God. Trade and large even among our savages there is gener- commercial business is also now follow- ally some cause for such revenge upon ing in the wake of the teaching of the traders living among them. Gospel where a few years ago no white Mr. and Mrs. Annand, our excellent man durst set foot on shore without the missionaries living on Tangoa, off Santo, fear of being killed and eaten by the having recently opened a new station savages. Oh that such races could en- there among the cannibals, were placed joy communion with its blessings with- in considerable difficulty and danger by out its curses in intoxicating drinks, this murder. The natives all left their opium, dynamite, fire·arms, and vice, station and gave up attending the school as forced upon them by trading pioneers and church, and for a time the work of from civilized nations to their destruc- the missions among them was suspend- tion, as now among the remaining ed ; but Mr. Annand wisely and devot- heathen of our island! The wonder to edly improved the time at his printing- me is that they don't murder ten for press, printing the Gospel by Matthew, everyone of the slavers, or "Kanaka which he had translated into their Ian. labor traffickers," who are sailing about guage. French and Englishmen.of.war among the islands to kidnap and get have since punished the murderers of away, by every means in their power, Sawers and his party, if possible to in- all the young men and women who so timidate the il!landers from taking the fall into their hands. Britain would lives of other traders, and make them murder every man who so, under any and their property more safe till those pretense, robbed her of her sons and islands are annexed and under the gov. daughters, and the world would praise ernment of some civilized nation. How- her for it and support her in it ; and ever, we look not to ciVilization, but to yet she tolerates this blood-stained traffic the blessed, enlightening, and sanctify. with its many evils, as by law author- ing influences of the Holy Spirit on the ized in Queensland, New Caledonia, teaching of our dear Lord ,Jesus as reo etc., which is rapidly depopulating the vealed in the Scriptures to lead civil. islands and sweeping away defenceless ized or savage nations to fear God and races to satisfy the godless white men's respect the li ves and propert.y of others; greed of gain by them. Oh for the time hence we pray and labor by the Gospel when everyone sball do to his neighbor to lead all to know and love and serve as he would be done by from love to the Jesus Christ as theif God a!:ld SaViour, Lord Jesus! Double the Force. little for Christian nurture and the up. building of men unless they are supplied BY BD. BENBY N. COBB, D.D., NEW YORK with the Bible. 'rhe full equipment of mankind for the service of God calls not CITY. for the four Gospels alone, or the epis- tles alone, but for the law, the prophets, I don't know that I could put into and the Psalms also; for promise and .. 300" or 3000 .. Vords" my idea of type as well as fulfilment ; for the Old the really stupendous work before the Testament as well as the New; for the Church of Christ, the grand openings Bible as the one Book which teaches and opportunities for work or the bless- what man is to believe concerning God ed results already achieved. I am sure and what duty God requires of man. the churches of every name might, with immediate advantage, double at once Thus far we have only begun to supply the number of men and the amount of the world with this Book. It Bounds means now contributed to their foreigIl well to enumerate 3M languages in work. I know ours could. We should which men may read of Christ and His hardly need a day to consider where the salvation; but in only 90 of the 304 is increase should be bestowed. If this the entire Bible printed; and of these be so, how great does the responsibility 90 one half only are the product of this of the churches become, in view also century of missions. We count, then, of the means at their disposal! 214 languages which convey to men a part only of the revealed Word, while The Outlook for Bible Work. the entire Scriptures are inspired and profitable for them. Moreover, 56 of BY BET. EDWARD W. GILMAN, D.D., BIBLE the 214 have only a single portion of the Bible, a Gospel, or some other book, BOUSE, NEW YOBK. and 131 of them have less than the New Testament. Not to speak, then, of Ian. Every Christian heart recognizes with guages as yet unstudied and unwritten, gratitude and wonder the work which there is a call during the present decade has been accomplished in a century in for competent scholars to go on and preparing new versions of the Holy complete the translation of the New Scriptures and circulating them far and Testament in 131 languages and dia. wide in all parts of the world. A hun. lects, and to carry on to its end the dred years ago there were barely 50 lan- translation of the Old Testament in guages in which the Bible had been more than 200 different languages. printed; now some parts of it can be found in more than 300 languages and It takes a man a lifetime to translate dialects. The long list of new transla- every chapter of the Bible and faith. tions made since the founding of the fully reproduce the mind of the Spirit British and Foreign Bible Society in in a strange tongue. Mr. Bingham has 1804 is an enduring monument of PI'· just accomplished this for the Gilbert tient scholarship and resolute effort in Islanders, whose language he began to one line of Christian endeavor. reduce to writing in 1857, and his com- pleted work will not appear until 1893. But there remains an immense amount Then, as a rule, first translations are of work to be accomplished. The Bible tentative, sure to require revision and constitutes what St. Jerome called the chang!l after mistakes have been point. "divine library," and until all nations ed out and improvements have been snghave that entire library in a printed gested by experience. The Syriac Bible, book and in their own vernacular, the begun by Dr. Perkins and his associates evangelization of the world will not be in 1836, and first printed in 1852, has complete. A single chapter of the Bible been for years undergoing revision to may"indeed cast a flood of light upon a meet the wants of outlying communiti,s community, and, like the star in the east, may lead men to Christ. But the evangelization of a people implieR Christian institutions, and the family, the schoo], and the church accomplish hal whose dialects had not been studied by with the help of the Rev. John Edwards. the earliest missionaries to Persia. The Zulu Bible, commenced nearly sixty And for Spanish.speaking America it years ago, and first printed in 1883, is in the hands of revisers who will need has nearly ready for publication aver. years to get their work ready for the press. Marshman's Chinese Bible, sion of the Bible in Spanish, made by printed as early as 1822, has been followed by numerous recensions and in- the Rev. H. B. Pratt, of the Southern dependent versions; but for a standard Presbyterian ChUl'ch, with the aid of Chinese Bible, embodying the results of enlarged study of the language, we must numerous scholars, among whom are the look to the labors of a large committee which has but just been organized for Rev. H. C. Thomson, D.D., of the Theo. work. These are but hints of the toil and effort which must be given by the logical School at Tlalpam, Mexico, and missionaries now in the field and by their immediate successors and associ- the Rev. J. M. Lopez, of New York. It ates in one line of Christian service. is hoped that this translation will Their work will hardly be done in this generation. eventually be accepted as preferable to the one in common use, which was made nearly three hundred years ago.
[With two exceptions, the short arti. cles composing our Symposium were kindly contributed in response to a re- quest for a brief Bulletin. The other two are used, being adapted to the same end. All the writers have placed us under obligation, and have our thanks. -J. T. G.] Besides the above, Dr. Gilman favors A Word from the Arabia.n Mission. us with the following items: BY BEV. S. lII. ZWElIIEB. For missions in the Pacific Ocean under the care of the American Board We feel very much encouraged with (Congregational), the Bible Society has the prospect of work here. I am just just printed an edition of the books of back from a preaching tour of 700 miles Genesis and Exodus in the Ruk lan- up to Bagdad and down the Euphrates. guage, and also has in press the entire The latter river was never before visited Bible for tl1e Gilbert Islanders. by a missionary, as far as I could learn. From Hillah I came down in a native To meet an urgent appeal for Scrip- boat, and had some real experiences of tures from missionaries of different so- Bedouin life and Moslem prejudice, cieties laboring in South Africa, it is the more so as I went at Moharram preparing a set of photo-engraved plates season right through sacred territory. for a new edition of the Zulu Bible. Rev. Catine has much work with our Bible shop. We find quite a demand It has on hand for the Mission of the for our books, and sales have been en- Presbyterian Board in Persia a very couraging. difficult and costly work, the printing of the revised Syriac Bible, under the Re'enforcement in Japan. supervision of Rev. B. Labaree, D.D. This version has been very dear to the In the September REVIEW one of our Nestorian Christians since it was first esteemed corresponding editors, Rev. given to them by Dr. Justin Perkins Dr. Knox, of Japan (p. 654), reviewing and his associates some forty years the year 1891 in Japan, argued for the ago. maintenance of an adequate force, as "nothing is more discouraging than For the Creek and Seminole Indians, work half manned and half done." He who come under the care of Presbyte- advocated the policy of strong re·enrian, Methodist, and Baptist native pas- forcements of existing missions, and tors, it is printing for the first time a deprecated an increase of the number version of Genesis in the Muskokee lan- of feebly manned new missions. He guage, prepared by the Rev. J. R. Ram- referred to the new mission of the Evansay and Mrs. A. E. W. Robertson, Ph.D., g!~l Lutherans, who, he said, had sent out but one man. He asked: "Must it Lutheran Church. Its boara carefully send its little force, too small for effi- and prayerfully and long considered the ciency and yet large enough to increase question of beginning work in Japan_ our denominations already far too According to their best jUdgment, there many?" was still room there for our work_ The Rev. L. G. M. Miller, minister 'Every creature' has not yet been of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, reached there with the Gospel, and Winchester, Va., writes a bitter com- until this is the case, surely we too are plaint against these utterances finding equally entitled with Dr. Knox to seek their way into the REVIEW. We beg to to oueyour Lord's command. We in remind him that the REVIEW assumes no no way seek to hinder or disparage him responsibility for opinions or state- or the body of Christians he represents ments which appear over well-known in their work. We accord them the names. We seek to furnish an arena, right of judgment as to where they had not for controversy surely, but for free best labor. He ought to do the same expression of even widely divergent by us."
opinions. That there is more than one view concerning" polity" in Japan is well known. We cheerfully make room Programme for the Decennial Oonferfor the following from our corre- enoe in Bombay! 1892-93. spondent's communication, though it seems to UR that Dr. Knox's only plea [We are indebted to Rev. J. L. Philis for a large force, if any. Bishop Mal- lips, M.D., for this advance copy. He lalieu, of the Methodist Episcopal and Mr_ A. Manwaring will accept our Church, during his recent visit in Japan, pleaded with his board for re-en- thanks.-J. T. G.] forcement, because he could place the Thursday, Dec. 29th, 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.
right kind of men in a dozen cities not -" Missionary Work among the De- now occupied by a.ny missionary.- pressed Classes and the Masses." (a) [J, T. G.] Nature of Instruction given (i) before Mr. Miller says: Baptism (ii) after Baptism. (b) Moral and Spiritual Results Produced. (C) The "Dr. Knox's statement seems to im- Best Methods of Work for the Future. ply that 'one man' was contemplated Papers-Rev. J_ E. Clough, D.D., Onas the extent of our force in Japan. It gole, Madras; Rev. S_ Martin. D.D., appears that this is not the case. Not Sialkot, Panjab; Rev. E. W. Parker, only is another on the way now, but we D.D., Lucknow. Speakers-Rev. A. hope to continue to add to their num- . Campbell, Manbhum, Bengal; Rev. ber. We go with no purpose of creat- W. H. Campbell, M.A., B.D., Cuddaing 'any confusion.' Our aim is to pah, Madras; Rev. .Ruttonji Nowroji, preach the Gospel and that alone, and Auruugabad, Berar ; Rev. W. S. Sutherin no way to interfere with others who land, M.A., Kalimpong. Bengal.–2 to may be doing the Lord's work in other 4.30 P.M. (Sectional.) (1)" Social and parts of the field. Dr. Knox seems to Legal Rights of Native Christians.-Marimply that the field is already fully oc- riage and Divorce." Papers-Rev. R. A. cupied. It is very far from being so. I Hume, Ahmednagar; Rev. H. E. Perquote from Rev. J. A. B. Scherer, our kins, Atari, Panjab. Speakers-Rev. missionary now on the ground. Appaji Bapuji, Poona ; Rev. K. C. Cbat- There are not less than four cities of terjee, Hoshyarpur, Panjab. (2)" Work over 30,000 souls each where no foreign among Lepers." Paper, W. C. Bailey, missionary resides, not to mention nu- Esq., Edihburgh. Speakers-Rev. G. M. merous smaller towns and clusters of vil- Bullock, Almora. N-w. P. ; Rev. W. J. lages, 80me of which are actually asking Richards, Allepy, Travancore. for foreign assistance. Dr. Guido F. Friday, Dec. 30th, 10 A.M to 1 P.M.- Verbeck, the leader of Japan missiona- "The Native Church in India-its Or- ries, who authorizes the use of his name ganization and Self·Support." K. C. in this letter, said to me this summer Banerji, Esq., B.A., B.L., Calcutta. that he could undertake to name a hun- Papers-Rev. Jacob Chamberlain, D.D., dred places where missionaries could be Madanapalle, Madras; Rev. S. Coles, advantageously placed at once. He is Cotta, Ceylon. Speakers-Rev. F. Hahn.
not only the oldest missionary on the Lohardllggll, Chotta Nagpur ; Rev_ T_ S.
ground, having lived here thirty-three Johnson, M.D., Jabalpur, C. P. ; Rev.
years, but is everywhere respected for A. T. Rose, D.D., Rangoon, Burmah.– his wide knowledge and solidity of 2 to 4.30 P.M. (Sectional.) (1) "The judgment. Religious Training of the Young." (a) "Dr_ Knox is entitled to his opinion, General. (b) Y. M. C. A. ann. Y. W.
but so also are the authorities of the O. A. (c) Sunday-schools. Papers- Miss Gardner, Calcutta; D. McConau. Speaker, Rev. F. W. Warne, Calcutta: ghey. Esq., M.A., Madras; Dr. J. L. (The Calcutta Conference has been asked Phillips, Calcutta. Speakers-Miss Ab- to arrange for another paper and another bott, Bombay; Rev. W. J. P. Morrison, speaker.)-5.30 P.M. (Sectional.) (1) AmbalIa, Panjab ; Rev, J. E. Robinson, Men's Meeting. "Public Morals in Bombay; Mrs. Sorabji, Poona. (2) India." Speakers-Dr. Condon, Mus- "TheJesuitAdvanceinIndia." Paper, Boorie, N-w. P. ; A. S. Dyer, Esq., Bom- bay. (2) Meeting of the Christian Rev. C. A. E. Diez, Mangalore, Madras. Women Workers' Union. Speaker, Rev. M. H. Clark, M.D., Am· ritsar.–5.30 P.M. .. Public Temper- Tuesday, Jan. 3d, 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.- ance Meeting." Speakers-Rev. J. H. (2) "The Social and Legal Standing of Bateson, Simla; Rev. Thomas Evans, the Lower Classes." The Madras Con- Mussoorie ; Rev. A. Parker, Benares. ference has been asked to appoint writ. ers and speakers.–2 to 4.30 P.M. (Sec. '&turday. Dec. 31st, 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.- tional.) (1)" Work among Anglo.Ind- "Work among the Educated Classes of ians and Eurasians." Papers-Rev. India." (a) Their Numbers, Influence, H. Gouldsmith, M.A., Calcutta; Rev. and Diffusion; (b) Their Religious Atti- I. F. Row, Poona. Speakers-Rev. D. tude; (c) Methods of Dealing with Osborne, Mussoorie ; Rev. T. H. Whita- Them. Papers-Rev. R. Wright Hay, more, Madras. (2) ,. Missionary Com- Dacca, Bengal; Rev. M. Phillips, Madras; S. Sathianadhan, Esq., M.A., ity." Papers-Rev. A. Clifford, M.A., LL.B., Madras. Speakers-Rev. J. Calcutta; Bishop J. M. Thoburn, D.D., McLaurin, D.D., Bangalore; S. R. Calcutta. Speakers -Rev. F. Ashcroft, Modak, Esq., Ahmednagar; Rev. Gun- M.A., Ajmere ; Rev. H. Gulliford, Banpatrao Navalkar, Alibag.–2 to 4.30 galore; Rev. J. Shilli.dy, M.A., Surat. P.M. (Sectional.) (1)" Work among Women." Papers-Miss Bernard, Poo- Wednesday, Jan. 4th. 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. na; Mrs. Bissell, Ahmednagar ; Miss S. – " Christian Literature." (a) Vernacu. Mulvaney, Calcutta; Miss Thoburn, lar; (b) English; (c) the Scriptures. Lucknow. Speakers-Miss Greenfield, Papers-Rev. H. Haigh, Mysore City; Ludiana; Mrs. Longhurst, Madras; J. Murdoch, Esq., LL.D., Madras; Rev. Miss McPhail, L.R.C.P., Madras; Miss S. W. Organe, Madras; Rev. G. P. Tay. Wanton, Amritsar ; Miss Warrack, Cal- lor, M.A., B.D., Ahmedabad. Speakers cutta. (2) .. The Native Church-the -Rev. C. B. Newton, D.D., Lodiana ; Training and Position of its Ministry." Rev. A. W. Prautch, Thanna, Bombay; Rev. H. U. Weitbrecht, Ph.D., Batala, Papers-Rev. W. Hooper, D.D., Allaha- Panjab.–2 to 4.30 P.M. Business Arbad; Rev. J. P. Jones, M.A., Madura. rangements and Closing Exercises. Speakers-Rev. H. D. Goldsmith, M.A., There will be a prayer-meeting every Madras; Rev. J. Lazarus, B.A., Mad- morning at 7.30. The Bombay Confer- ence is asked to arrange for two or more ras ; Rev. D. A. W. Smith, D.D., Insein, lectures on "Questions of Religious Burmah.–5.30 P.M. "Public Mis- Thought in India," on evenings not sionary Meeting." Speakers-Rev. S. W. Howland, D.O., Jaffna, Ceylon; Rev. otherwise occupied. J. L. PIlILLIPS, J. E. Scott, Ph.D., Muttra, N-w. P. ; F,ev. J. Wilkie, B.D., Indore, C. I. Secretary Decennial Conference Provisional ISunday, Jan. 1st, 1893, 3 p.M.-Sermon Committee. by the Rev. G. Kerry, Calcutta; fol- A. MANWARING, lowed by United Holy Communion. Secretary Bombay Missionary (Jonference. Monday, Jan. 2d, 10 A.M. to 1 P.M.- " Education as a Missionary Agency." The statistical tables prepared for Papers~Rev. W. H. Findlay, M.A., Negapatam, Madras; Rev. D. Macki- this Conference show an enc{)uraging chan, D.D., Bombay; Rev. A. B. Wann, B.D., Calcutta. Speakers-Rev. J. C. R. increase in many particulars. The Pres- Ewing, D.D., Lahore; Rev. L. B. Wolf, M.A., Guntur, Madras; Rev. J. W. byterians lead in the number of socie- Youngson, Guzrat, Panjab.–2 to 4.30 P. M. (Sectional.) (J ) "Industrial ties at work in India; the Church of Work." Papers-Rev. J. Frohnmeyer, Tellicherry, Madras; Rev. T. Snell England in the Iumber of foreign or- Smith, Jaffna, Ceylon. Speakers-Rev. S. B. Fairbank D.D., Bombay; Rev. J. dained missionaries and in the num· Small, Poona.' (2) .. Plan of Uniform ber of native Christians; the Baptists Missionary Statistics." Paper, Rev. J. W. Thomas, Calcutta. (3)" The in the numter of communicants. The Observance of the Lord's Day in India." Paper, Rev. W. B. Phillips, Calcutta. PIesbyterians lead in Anglo-vernacular schools; the Church of England in ~he vernacular schools; and the Met,hodlsts in female education.
As the documents are not in full be- feonrceouurs~gweemewntiththheoyldafrfeomrdarbkys as to the compari- son of growth with that of other decades.
DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN
III.-DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
CONDUCTED BY PROFESSOR AMOS R. WELLS.
Ten Christian Endeavorers have gone dred and twelve scholars to its Sundayfrom societies in Victoria, Australia, to school during the past year. A noble foreign mission fields. That is one rea- showing, yet one that many an Amerison for the great prosperity of the Chris- can society might equal with a little tian Endeavor cause in that colony. more effort.
Here are some new committees they Not satisfied with separate temperhave adopted in Australia: a "good ance committees in the various societies, word" committee, to encourage and the West Division of the Chicago Union practise kindliness of speech; a .. flour has established a union temperance committee," to make dainty dishes for committee, which can unite the forces the sick and prepare more substantial and focus them effectively on many of food for the poor; a band of housekeep. the most crying evils of that wicked ing young ladies, to take charge of city. Why is not this a good idea for house, children, and Sunday dinner, all city unions? and give overworked mothers a chance to go to church; prayer bands, to ask The Friends are rapidly banding toand receive special blessings; and many gether their Endeavor societies into others. Of course, these things might Yearly Meeting Unions, analogous to be done without "committees," but the Conference and Presbyterial unions how seldom they are I of other denominations. Eight of these have been formed, and it is a most hope- A novel and valuable form of commit- ful fact that four of these unions are tee work, born on American soil, is that furnishing funds to support each a forof the "whatsoever" committee of a eign missionary. certain church in Washington, D. C. This is a committee whose purpose is to It is a distinctly understood Christian do the little things that, being every- Endeavor principle that all officers of body's business, are usually done by State and local unions-yes, and of the nobody. It does odds and ends of work United Society, too-shall serve without that Christian leaders are likely to think salaries, solely for the love of the Mashardly worth while. It is the gap-fill- ter. Secretary Baer has recently obing committee, and every society and tained the written statements of nearly church needs one. all State presidents and secretaries, who cordially affirm their agreement with Endeavor societies took active part in this principle. Even Dr. Clark himself what was, it is to be hoped, the final gets no pay for his services as president contest for Sunday closing of the World's of the United Society. The trustees Fair, the petitioning of the commis- also all serve purely for the love of the sioners. A large number of societies cause. and unions sent earnestly worded requests, fully signed, not only by their The earnest Canadian niissionary, own ;members, but by the prominent Rev. Egerton R. Young, has founded a men of their towns. large Christian Endeavor society among the Cree Indians of the Northwest Ter- Societies on this side the Pacific ritory. The essential Christian Endeavshould be stirred to healthy rivalry by or literature is being translated into the the brisk news that is coming in such a Cree language. :flood nowadays from Christian Endeavorers in Australia. An especially in- Two famous churches in the United spiring record is that of the Sunday- Kingdom have recently formed Chrisschool committee which o.dded one hun- tian Endeavor societies. One is in Glasgow, Scotland, the church of Rev. James Stalker, D.D. The other is in organized in the Presbyterian Mission of Birmingham, England, the church of Oakland, with the assistance of Rev.
Rev. R. W. Dale, D.D. Ug Poon Chew. Ly Moon was chosen A full Christian Endeavor manual in president. Among the refreshments the Armenian and Turkish languages that followed the first meeting was genu- has lately been prepared. The French ine tea.
are also translating Christian Endeavor The board of trustees of the United literature, and the societies are mul- Society has suffered its first loss at the tiplying, not merely in Paris, but in the hands of death. Choate Burnham, country districts. Esq., one of the earliest and stanchest Here is a good Christian Endeavor friends of the cause, has passed away.
missionary incident. In a certain so- He was an old man with a young and ciety a young lady tried earnestly for ardent heart, and he has been of the ut- four years to persuade her comrades to most service, not merely in the present establish a missionary committee. At prosperity of the Christian Endeavor last, wearied with her importunity, Miss movement, but in the earlier days, A. remarked, "Oh, do give it a trial! when it was winning its way and fight- G. will never let us alone until we do." ing its battles.
They gave it It six months' trial, and It is the Moravian Church now that the committee was not discontinued. wisely proposes to draw its Endeavorers On the contrary, the very Miss A. who together into a denominational Chris- made that slighting remark is now in tian Endeavor union. A strong or- training for missionary work, to be sup- ganization has been effected, the field ported by that same society. well divided, and great Christian En.
Mr. Alfred Hutton, a member ot Par- deavor growth may be expected among liament from Yorkshire, England, is an the Moravians.
ardent Endeavorer, and the treasurer or During the month of his stay in Aus- the Bradford Christian Endeavor Union. tralia Dr. Clark was expected to attend We have lately heard of several socie- and speak at seventy different meetings, ties whose temperance committees have and at many of them more than once!
made a specialty of raising money to Evidently his tour is more than a pleas.
send dmnkards, who wish to reform, to ure trip.
Keeley Cure or similar establishments. Here is the portrait of Dr. Clark as he • A few weeks ago news reached the appears to a prominent Australian Boston headquarters simultaneously of clergyman: "We think here that we extensions of Christian Endeavor work can understand some of the success of in localities as widely sundered as Chili the Christian Endeavor movement by and Burma. In each of these lands are the bearing and character of its founder.
seen the genuine Endeavor zeal and His magnificent sincerity and openness, helpfulness and methods of work. the complete and conspicuous absence Quietly but surely the idea of " senior of artificiality in nature and manner, societies of Christian Endeavor," where- mark a Christian gentleman strong in in older church-members and graduates attractive power. This to the general from the young people's society may observer. To those with whom he lived, work on in Christian Endeavor ways, is he blossomed more richly. At closer gaining ground. The Connecticut State quarters one felt that one was having convention urged the idea by a formal fellowship with a good man. The con- vote, and several religious papers of tact of sympathy was complete. Diplo- prominence are pushing the plan. Prac· macy was out of court. Heart touched tical trial in a number of churches is heart in a fellowship which one ever felt proving its value. precious. " California now has ..~other Chinese Dr. Clark's month in Australia was society of Christian Endeavor. It was one eminently fmitful of good to the cause. Everywhere were thronged audi- Moffat, Dr. Chapman, and many others. ences, eager attention and inquiry. the New York held the best convention of most unbounded hospitality and over· its history, with two thousand delegates, flowing cordiality. Through this visit with Mr. Sankey, Faye Huntington, Dr. of the president of the United Society, H. H. Stebbins, Rev. C. A. Dickinson, Christian Endeavor in America will gain and many other able speakers. Oregon as much as it gives, in enlarged plans had a wide·awake convention, and Minof work and revived enthusiasm. Pos· nesota too, with Dr. Wayland Hoyt, Dr. sibly the chief gain to the cause from H. H. French, Rev. R. W. Brokaw, and this journey will be the assurance, ·Rev. W. W. Sleeper. Vermont'sconven. placed beyond doutt, that Christian tion was the best in her history, from Endeavor is a world.movement, suited Dr. H. C. Farrar's stirring address to to all nations, and bringing forth equally the close. Iowa gathered five hundred glorious fruit under all skies. delegates from outside the convention city, and held a rousing meeting. New The conventions held by the State Jersey had eight hundred delegates, and, Christian Endeavor unions this fall among many 'other strong speakers, Dr. have been remarkable for their spiritual C. F. Deems. Seven hundred met in tone. the prominence and ability of the Wisconsin; Quebec's second annual speaker~. and the large numbers of the convention was large and enthusiastic; delegates. Never have Christian En· Missouri had seven hundred dele,g/ltes deavor State conventions excelled those and a magnificent programme, and Onof this season in these three particulars. tario's convention, with nearly a thou- The third annual convention of Texas sand delegates, with Dr. A. C. Dixon, drew together two hundred enthusiastic Bishop Baldwin, Dr. J. A. R. Dickson, delegates and a large body of able clergy- and Dr. S. P. Rose, was remarkably sucmen. Over a thousand Endeavorers cessful. Not the least noteworthy of came together in New Hampshire, to be the conventions of the two months addressed by such speakers as Dr. Ar. under review was the first State conven· thur Little, William Shaw, treasurer of tion held in South Carolina, a State far the United Society, William McNeil, behind the rest, hitherto, in Endeavor Thomas E. Besolow, the African prince, work. A full list of the prominent and Mrs. Alice May Scudder. Mr. San- speakers at these conventions would be key led the singing. The rousing meet· a remarkable one, not merely in the ing in Connecticut emphasized evan- number and prominence of the men, but gelization, and set on foot many practi. in the variety of evangelical faith repre· cal plans. Among the speakers were sented. Baptists and Methodists, Pres- General Howard, Dr. J. Wilbur Chap- byterians lind Congregationalists, Luman, Dr. Josiah Strong, Dr. D. J. Bur- therans, Reformed, Disciple, Moravian, rell, and Rev. N. Boynton. More than Quaker-all these, lind a score more, fifteen hundred Endeavorers gathered would be found fairly represented. To in Massachusetts, to be aroused to fresh fill Dr. Clark's place lit these convenenthusiasm by such men as Dr. James L. tions many men have given much time Hill, Rev. Lawrence Phelps, Rev. C. P. and earnest zeal. Prominent among Mills, Rev. Leroy S. Bean, Secretary these are Treasurer Shaw, Mr. William Gordon, of the Boston Y. M. C. A., Rev. McNeil, brother of the famous Scotch Henry T. McEwen, and Dr. W. E. Park. evangelist, and many members of the Five hundred Nebraskans held an espe· board of trustees. Overflow meetings cially helpful Endeavor convention. have been the rule at these meetings, More than two thousand of Pennsyl. the utmost enthusiasm has been mani. vania's Endeavorers met, and were ad· fested, and a beautiful spirit of consecra· dressed by Dr. W. H. McMillan, Dr. J. H. tion has been exhibited and fostered. Weber, Dr. Sylvanus Stall, President
DEPARTMENT
IV.-EDITORIAL. DEPARTMENT.
Dr. Strong's New Book. pIes Applied to the Two Great Prob- lems. Theadmirable article* in this number, by Dr. Josiah Strong, author of " Our Chapter XVI. An Enthusiasm for Hu- Country," alld one of our editorial cor· manity. respondents, we have obtained, by joint permission of the author and his pub. London, and, infact, all .England, is in a lishers, Messrs. Baker & Taylor, it being state of ferment. The well-known con- Chapter I. of Dr. Strong's forthcoming flict between Labor and Capital comes book, .. The New Era." Knowing the now and then, and with greater fregeneral plan and scope of the work just quency, to the front. Ten thousand about to appear, we greatly desired to Jews in the city'of London propose to print in thl'se pages the substance of its march barefooted through the streets ; magnificent opening chapter, partly for and it is said they are in a practically its intrinsic value as a source of inspira- half-starved condition. It is also said tion on missions, and partly to whet the that nearly twenty thousand engineers appetite of the reader for more. Dr. are out of employment in this metropo- Strong has struck the philosophy of his- lis alone. The poverty is abject and tory, and as one of the most vigorous appalling, and the condition of the thinkers of the age will command a poor threatens the very stability of the hearing. Our readers may be interested nation. This matter of the conflict beto know what other themes are to be tween employeril and employed must discussed in this book, and by Dr. have a speedy settlement; and he will Strong's permission we give the titles of be the greatest statesman of this present the other chapters : era who is able to reconcile these adjust.. ing interests and claims. At present no Chapter II. The Destiny of the Race. one has appeared above the horizon who Chapter III. The Contribution made seems competent to grapple with these by the Three Great Races of Ahtiquity. immense issues. There seems to be lit- Chapter IV. The Contribution made tle use in preaching the Gospel to halfby the Anglo-Saxon. starved people out of employment,whose Chapter V. The Authoritative Teach- particular clamor is for bread ; and this er.. is one of the greatest missionary ques- tions of the age. Chapter VI. The Two Fundamental' Laws of Christ. A Most Startling Faot, Chapter VII. Popular Discontent. One of the most remarkable events of Chapter VIII. The Problem of th, modern times is that vast Hindu Con_ Country. ference recently held at Benares India Chapter IX. The Problem of the City. to take steps toward the saving'of Hin: Chapter X. The Separation of the duism from the encroachments ot Masses from the Church. Christianity. Chapter XI. The Mission of the Church. Among other things, the Conference Chapter XII. The Necessity of New recommended that October 30th 1892 Methods. should be set apart as a special 'day of Chapter XIII. Necessity of Personal prayer to the Supreme Power for the Contact. preservation of the Hindu religion. Chapter XIV. Necessity of Co-operation. Probably in the whole history of the Chapter XV. The T~o Great Princi. world there has never before been a day set apart in the heathen or pagan or * "The Nineteenth Century One of Prepara- ~ohammedan lands for prayer for the tion," page 7. preservation of false faiths. But what This society has been in existence a mighty concession to the growing about five years, and its Board of Manpower of Christianity is the fact that its agement consists of 30 ministers and foes are impelled to cry to their gods, Christian workers representing the varilike the prophets of Baal, for their in- ous evangelical denominations. Its terposition in behalf of the corrupt reo head offices are in New York City, ligions of the world. corner of Broadway and Forty.fifth Street. It has now about 150 missiona- That same day-October 30th-was ries in various countries. About 25 set apart by the Student Volunteers for went out to the Congo last May, and two prayer for the breaking down of the bar- other parties to India in July and Auriers of heathen, pagan, and Moslem gust, consisting of 16 persons. On faiths. It is perhaps an equally signifi- Wednesday morning, November 9th, cant though melancholy fact that the another party of 14 sailed for Liversucceeding Sabbath, November 6th, was pool on their way to the Soudan. Their set apart in London as the" Museum field is the largest single country in Sunday," and that in many even of the Africa, with a popUlation of about evangelical churches and chapels that 90,000,000, stretching from Khartoum day was given up to the public plea for on the Red Sea to Sierra Leone on the the opening on the Lord's Day of the Atlantic Ocean, a strip of 4000 miles various museums and galleries of art. long by 1000 miles wide. This densely populated region is wholly unevangel- The preaching of the Gospel largely ized. gave way to what, in the eyes of the most sagacious students of social and The first missionary party sailed two religious questions, means the breaking years ago under the leadership of Mr. down of the sacred limits of Sabbath Kingman to this field from New York. rest. Others have since followed. The pres- ent reinforcement will increase the A Free Ch'lrch congress has just been working force to 20. Their base of held (November) at Manchester for the operations is Freetown, Sierra Leone, emphasizing of points of agreement be- and their line of advance is up the Rotween Nonconformists. It was very kelle River, which they have already aslargely attended, and many very admi- cended nearly 100 miles, and planted a rable addresses were delivered. We can- number of stations. The present party not have much hope of any close unity will occupy about 8 stations. while two obstacles continue to exist: first, denominational bigotry, such as Hardships in the Mission Field. shows itself in those Baptists who either cannot or will not see that any devout, It is a sign of the imperfection in our intelligent Scripture student can hon- mission work that we still hear so much estly differ from them on infant bap- spoken of the privations with which mis_ tism, believers' baptism, and immersion sionaries have" necessarily" to put up. as the only proper mode of baptism ; To every servant of God who offers himor secondly, loose and unwarrantable self for the work the question is put, views of the inspiration of the Scrip- " Are you really going to give up all sotures, such as some of us never can cial comforts and live in those barbarabide or quietly tolerate, make such ous regions ?" unity impossible. Naturally the earnest and obedient Missionary Reinforcements. follower of J eSUR Christ replies that "the love of God constraineth him," The International Missionary Alliance and lays his ha~d on the passages has just sent out a new party of mis· which mark out to him this path of sionaries to a most important and novel duty. He leaves the "hardships" in field. God's hands, for Him to manage. Once, tiously to resolve by the grace of God in conversation with a lady missionary, to undergo only those troubles and diffi- I let drop the word" hardship" in con- culties which He will see fit to lay upon nection with her work. She immediate- him, and no more. All other burdens ly broke in with, "Do not let me hear borne will tend to the exaltation of you use that word. We who have gone " self." His duty will not demand of feel the peace and joy we have in His him to live in a hut when he is able to service ample reward for any sacrifice." build his house and furnish it with some degree of comfort. Our Church .. In a service which Thy will appoints will never maintain a Christlike mis· There are no bonds for me, sionary activity upon the motto, " Use up and get more." For my inmost heart is taught thc truth That makes Thy children free ; I was struck with this in reading the life of James Gilmour. His career had And the life of self-renouncing love been very active and full of trials; he Is the life of liberty." had lived through many sufferings, but it was only when he learned to "pray But this is a subject continued for us more and work less, so that God may in any journal or biography of missiona- work through His servants," that his ries. work became largely blessed to himself and the people around. On the other hand, it is a mistake on the part of " friends" at home to think As a future missionary I look forward that the life of foreign workers must to enduring hardships, but only such as needs be a life of hardship. Does it fol- He may be pleased to send, and as long low that because he is going to heathen a life spent in such service to His glory lands he is to be poorly supplied with as possibly care and prudence can the ordinary comforts of life? Should make it. there be any difference between the minister at home and the minister in "Lead us not into temptation, but the foreign field? Are not both work- deliver us from evil. ' , We find nowhere ers in the same cause, servants of the in the Bible any hint authorizing us to same Master, and all Christians stew- pray for more suffering, so as to grow ards of God's money? holier by means of it. We accept it as He is pleased to send; His will be done. Must it be that the men who preach to those from whom the funds are drawn W.J.N. be better supplied than those who preach to those for whom funds are col- Light for the Ohuroh at Home. lected ? Where, then, is Christian love and unselfishness, hy which we prefer The missionary cause, which lies so one another? Nay, it i. the fault of close to the Saviour's heart, has now those very talkers whose months are full found a new channel to a multiplication of " hardships" that such actually exist! of its power. And this, like all inven- Let them begin by supplying fitly those tions, is so simple that we wonder that workers already in the field; and by it has not been in use for ages. The sending forth more men by their pray- Cross.Bearers' Missionary Reading Cirers and their money, these privations cle is swiftly binding the Christian world will speedily disappear. together and concentrating missionary zeal. Lastly, however, the future missionary should not think that he has a per- All those who are interested in mismit to sport unnecessary hardships. sions, and who earnestly desire to get The time for extraordinary deeds of into the depths of the missionary cause, mortification does not any more exist in may write to Rev. Z. M. Williams, A.M•• our Church. My body is a temple of St. Joseph, Mo., for a Handbook explain- God, and the endangering of it is break- ing this movement. Already inquiries ing the sixth commandment.
The young missionary has conscienhave been pouring in from all parts ever-widening area and with constantly of the United States, from Canada, increasing results. and even from England. Many great leaders of the different churches have " The missionaries, mostly young, are given their hearty endorsement to the all Presbyterians, all university men, and enterprise, and there have been a num- all carefully selected; partly by the Unitber of additions to the Circle recently. ed Presbyterian Church of Scotland and partly by the Irish Presbyterian Church. The movement contemplates an intelligent study of the whole subject of mis- "Besides the stations enumerated, sions, and without doubt will prove of there are many scores of other places immense value to the" Forward Move- where the Gospel is proclaimed by memment" in Christian missions. bers resident or sojourning for busi- ness. I am not aware of the existence It offers a three years' course of pre- of any considerable village where the scribed daily readings, with yearly ex- Gospel has not been proclaimed and aminations on the same. Such a course, Christian books offered for sale by the comprising travel, history, biography, admirably conducted colportage system philosophy, and studies of peoples, lan- of Manchuria, where every colporteur is guages, and customs is in itself an edu- an itinerant evangelist. Years ago the cation and promotive of real culture, preacher had proclaimed his message while stimulating men to noblest pur- again and again in every city ; and at poses and highest resolves. present there is scarcely a city in which there is not a permanent station or into Two Oorrections. which we are not taking steps to enter. Unless soma sudden blight, which I SOUTH AMERICA. cannot believe in, falls upon our widely spread and aggressive church, there is The statement in regard to the popu- no reason why every inhabitant of Man- churia will not have had an opportunity lation of South America on page 869 of of understanding the Gospel message within two or three decades. the November, 1892, REVIEW should " Our congregations begin at the port have read, "A proportion about equal of Newchwang and extend northward to the neigbborhood of the Songari. Last to one tenth that of Europe… The popu- year we added 3 new congregations to the 16 which were organized when our lation of South America is variously es- 2 missions combined to form the Pres- byterian Church of Manchuria. timated from 30,000,000 to 35,000,000, "The native preachers are mostly or somewhat less than that of the Brit- men of a fair amount of learning, who have been carefully selected, and are ish Isles. constantly trained in Scripture truth. They are set apart only after they have MANCHURIA. proved themselves fit for the seriously responsible position which they occupy. A correspondent calls our attention They are paid at an average of less than to a misstatement on page 711 of the £1 sterling per month. We look be- September REVIEW, where it is said that sides to at least 1000 of our members "Manchuria has 12,OOO,OOO-without a to act as unpaid preachers of the Gossingle missionary." It is an old-time pel. Indeed, we count upon every statement, long since out of date, and professed believer as a. preacher to all we gladly give the correction in full : his circle of acquaintances. We look to our native brethren, not to foreigners, to " There are in Manchuria 17 missiona- evangelize the country. JOHN Ross. rIes, 19 congregations, 43 dut-stations, 57 native preachers, 12 colporteurs. October 31st, 18n, there were 2037 members; there were baptized last year 490 persons. This year's statistics are not yet formulated, but the baptisms cannot be less.
.. The first of the above-mentioned members were baptized in 1873, since which year the work has gone on in an
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
V.-GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.
Extracts and Translations from Foreign in the work that Central Africa is not to Periodicals. be evangelized by white men; too many of the conditions of life are against it. BY BEV. C. C. STARBUCK, ANDOVER, MASS. The European cannot make his home there as he does in South Africa, or on AFRICA. the highlands of the East Coast, or even at the extreme north; and we increas- _co A French Roman Catholic mis- ingly feel that the greater part of the sionary has laid before the French Geo- burden will have to fall upon the people graphical Society some interesting facts of the country themselves. Happily in regard to the Fangs, a well-known the natives are responding right nobly tribe in West Africa. He represents to the responsibilities laid upon them them as having an unusual degree of by their Master ; and their readiness to energy, and as virtually monopolizing witness concerning Him is one of the the ivory trade in the region in which most encouraging features of our work. they are found. The interesting fact is Their testimony is often very elementary brought to light that, although they wor- and crude, but God is being glorified ship as fetiches the skull of the gorilla thereby, and seeing that He is making and the horns of antelopes, they believe such use of His servants, we feel we are in a Supreme Being who created and pursuing the right policy in locating who upholds all things. This affords a ourselves in the most important centres fresh evidence that fetichism is often that are available, and in looking' to only a convenient device, a sort of in- Him to raise up messengers who, termediate, every-day, working religion, through the gracious influences of the which may co-exist with a clear concep- Holy Spirit, shall be enabled to carry tion of one Supreme Being, compared on the work in detail. We do not adwith whom the fetich is little more than vocate the maintenance of native evana convenient appliance. These people gelists by European churches, for we are warlike, and they always eat the feel it is wiser to throw the burden upon prisoners whom they capture."-Ohurch the native churches; for though it may at Home and Abroad. mean less apparent progress, we feel sure we are on right lines. Just so long _co You can never win an African un- as we bolstered up the native church at less you first love him; and then when Cameroons they were dependent upon you love him, like all human nature, he us, but when the Germans stepped in, responds to the love. The African has and they had to depend upon thema sweetness of character which I have selves, they developed a resourcefulness not found excelled even in England. and an ability that most surprised those The Africans of the Bible were gentle who knew them best; and not only and kind. I call to your mind Ebed have they been able to stand alone, but Melech, who lifted Jeremiah the Prophet they have so progressed that they have from the dungeon and the mire; Simon just completed their fifth new chapel the Cyrenian, who carried the Cross of since the fostering care of the English our beloved Master and Lord; the Ethi- churches was withdrawn. " opian eunuch who asked Philip the Evangelist to step up beside him, and -" To-day I saw the young Khedive. was willing to listen to the explanation His appearance impressed me most of the old Book. The African is the favorably. He has a fresh European same to-day." -Canon TAYLOR SMITH, in complexion, a frank, modest, pleasant Ohurch Missionary lntelligencer. expression, and seems to be resolved to take the reins, so unexpectedly put into -The Rev. George Grenfell writes to the Missionary Herald (English Baptist) : " It is quite plain to us who are engaged
EXTRACTS AND TRANSLATIONS
his hands, with honest purpose to do they proceed: "Does a European colohis best. All who know Sir Evelyn nist really expect that even the most Baring agree in regarding him as a thor- , down-trodden' African would willing. oughly wise, as well as firm adviHer; ly leave the cultivation of his own food but one thing that has specially im- crop to do the work of anyone else? pressed me in connection with the Brit- As long as the transport of the said disish occupation of Egypt, and Britain's trictis carried on in primitive fashion place and influence here, is its unob- by native bearers, so long will it be trusiveness. The British army of occu- hampered during the garden season by pation is the smallest; there is no un- failure of the supply of carriers. 1m· necessary parade of that force; in al. prove the means of transport by intromost all branches of administration ducing bullock wagons, and the diffi. Egyptian officials have the chief places, culty, comparatively speaking, disap. and in most cases only Egyptians are in pears. . ., Does a European colonist official authority; but what surprised imagine that the native of the Shire me most was to learn that Sir Evelyn Highlands is unwilling to work and can Baring has no precedence over the only be made to do so by presents or representatives of other European na- threats? Let him go and see the plan. tions. He comes in simply in order of tations of the Messrs. Buchanan Brothseniority. The Consul-General of Spain ers at Michiru, Lunzu, Chiradzulo, and is Dean of the Consular body, and ranks Zomba; then let him look at the buildfirst. ings erected at Mandala, Blantyre, and Zomba. These are the products of free "Next to the unobtrusiveness of labor. Does he remember the carriage Britain is its beneficent effectiveness. of the Good News, the Charles Janson, It is now twenty-four years since I was the Domira, and the other craft sailing last in Egypt. In that time I noticed now on Nyassa? . " That was done several very marked changes. I remem- by free labor in the days when no Euro. ber, for example, near the town of pean employer dared think of evic- Keneh, on a Sunday afternoon, seeing tion. . .. The natives themselves are 10,000 fellaheen (peasants) assembled on saying that if there occurs oppression the bank of the Nile, and being packed in such or any form, they will migrate into large barges, to be carried to some to the districts where there are no Europlace two days' sailing distant, to work, peans, and where they can be free to it might be, on some embankment, but live and cultivate their gardens in peace. as likely on something which was to en· The results will be the melancholy rich the arbitrary and self-indulgent spectacle that we see in the Cape, Free Khedive Ismail. For such work there State, Transvaal, and Natal colonies, was no pay. That system of forced where native and European life have labor, or corvle, has now nearly or quite separated entirely." ceased. The dual control of Britain and France condemned it, and British -The Moravian Brethren sent out to influence has pursued it to a timely end. Lake Nyassa, after a good deal of jour. It was the very same system applied to neying hither and thither in the counthe previously independent children of try, have finally found a settlement in Israel in Egypt which led to the Ex- the country of the boy-king Makapalile. odus."-Rev. JOHN ALISON, D.D., in Mis- " There is a village of neat cottages very sion Record of the Church of Scotland. near 0111' camping-place, and others not very far removed, about seventy in all, -Life and Work in British CentralAfri- with still others somewhat farther off. ca-printed at Blantyre-animadverts The inhabitants appear diligent, having on a practice which, unchecked, might hedges, fences, and irrigating ditches, easily degenerate into slave-holding. and growing in their gardens maize, The extracts will explain themselves as
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
sweet potatoes, malesi, and owning ernor, who for many years had been, cows. There is running water near by, and now is again, pastor of the Ando- clay for bricks, a supply of wood, a shel. halo Church in Antananarivo, and to ter against the detestable northwest whose wise administration and kindly wind. No swamps and no white ants, Christian character 1 had many testi.
and a situation 5000 feet above the lake monies. One of the natives, for in.
level – airy therefore and relatively stance, speaking of Ramaka, said to healthy. In short, all the external me: 'When anyone was ill, high or conditions are inviting; but that in the low, Ramaka would put his dignity on eyes of our brethren, and with right, is one side and go and visit him.' . . . A not that which alone suffices, nor yet fortnight's journey from Ambohimarina that they are in the region commended bl'Ought us to Anorontsanga. The gov.
to them by Dr. Kerr-Cross. Rather do ernor here, thank God, is one of the they seek for the earth the final deci- most intelligent and earnest Christian sion from heaven. They would fain men in the island. It is impossible to have from thence, if not a sign or won· be long in his company without seeing der, yet a token of assent, manifesting that for him' to live is Christ.' He is, itself in inward certainty and tranquil- in the first place, the servant of Christ, lity of mind respecting their undertak· in the second the servant of Ranavalo· ing. They know, moreover, that such manja1!:a, the queen of the island. All light from above must be the reward of the people I conversed with-Euro- prayer. Therefore, before they seek peans, Hindus, Johannamen, Hova, their rest, each for himself apart and Sakalava, Mozambiques-were lOUd in likewise all conjointly, they set forth his praises. 'He is truly our father and their thoughts and apprehensions, the mother,' said one man to me, 'and his matter on all its sides, as so often 0.1- only thoughts are for our good.' Thank ready, before Him, to whom this place God, again I say, for a man like Rako- is to be consecrated-Him whose name tovao, the Governor of Anorontsanga.
is to be proclaimed here in the wilder- He not only takes his turn in preaching ness. Thereupon there falls upon them at the church, but also teaches a weekly a joyful and settled confidence, and in Bible class. Every August, it seems, he that very evening it was decided for has a large gathering of children from them: Here abide we and build. Human nearer the schools, and also representa.
habitation and God's kingdom." -.M"~ tives from all the churches, which- sions·Blatt aus der Brildergemeine. though five years ago there were only MADAGASCAR. :five in existence-now number twenty. . Two days' journey south of -From the Chronicle: ., I had several Androvahonko brought us to Alldra- opportunities of meeting the congrega. nosamonta, one of the most important tion at this place, and preaching the trading centres on the northwest coast.
Gospel to them "-Ambohilllarina, in The governor is a man somewhat ad- the Province of Antornboka, at the north vanced in years, and is under Rakotovao.
end of the island-" as well as examin. He, too, is an earnest Christian (indeed, ing the school.children. There are more it was for this reason, added to his in- signs of life in the church here than in telligence, that Rakotovao placed him any of those I had hitherto visited, and here), and takes the deepest interest in I believe that there is a considerable religious matters, he himself teaching a number of genuine Christian people. Bible class every Monday morning.
They have formed as many as five out- "A series of special religious meet- stations, have placed over them an evan- ings have been held at Ambohipaning, gelist, and have provided teachers for in the centre of the Rev. C. Jukes's dis· the schools. • .• This good work was trict. • I have never,' says Mr. Jukes, initiated by Ramaka, the former gov· , known such a time since I have been
EXTRACTS AND 'l'RANSLATIONS
in the ctmntry. Nothing but the work- FARTHER INDIA AND THE ARCHIPELAGO. ing of the Spirit of God could have touched the people in such a way. Peo- -" What benefits can come to the ple came from all parts of the district, people [of Siam] through the preaching bringing little baskets of rice with them of the priests when it is given in a lanto last three days, some a distance of guage understood neither by the priests two days' journey. On the first morn- nor by the people? The homilies of ing, at half-past six, we had a prayer- Buddha in the Bali language are simply meeting, at which two hundred were committed to memory by the priests and present, and at nine 0' clock we assem- recited. It would be sinful for them to bled again, and after a Bible reading on preach in any other language. Neither " Sin" all united in making a solemn have I discovered in the priests any eviconfession to God. The chapel was dence of the missionary spirit or of care crowded, and the extreme stillness for the good of their fellow-men. The showed that the thoughts of the people two words which characterize Christianwere working. We broke up after a ity and Buddhism are as unlike as light three hours' service, and as the people and darkness. Christianity, love; Bud· left the chapel scarcely a word was dhism, selfishness. spoken. In the afternoon we met again at two o'clock, and continued until " For years I spent much time in pre. nearly five. Next morning there was senting the Gospel to the Buddhist another service at 6.30. At least three priests, and as I went from temple hundred were present. At the close of urged the priests to take up a crusade the subsequent meetings the people against the giant evils of Siam-gam. were very reluctant to disperse, and in bling, opium, and liquor-telling them the evening there was singing and pray- how these evils were ruining the poor er all over the village. All seemed to people, body and soul. be in some way concerned about the " Great Salvation." One after another " But invariably I received the heart. got up to acknowledge the good they less reply, 'Let them alone. Let it be had received at these meetings, and unto them according to their merit or likened the three days to the day of demerit.' "-Rev. EUGENE P. DUNLAP, Pentecost. After the meetings num- in Ohurch at Home and Abroad. bers came to us broken down under a sense of sin, and to ask what they must -" Beyond doubt we think a great do to be saved. During the whole time deal about the East Indies, but it is not I have been in Madagascar I have never always nor universally felt with any seen anything like this work.' .. vividness that the Christian Netherlands have in the East Indies a lofty, serious, -The Preachers' Union in Antanana- and noble calling to fulfil. It cannot rivo has, in addition to Sunday preach- have been the sole purpose of Divine ing, formed itself into a sort of Salva- Providence to make the Netherlands rich tion Army of sixty men, for the purpose through India. It has unquestionably of holding service on market days. also had in mind to make the Indies Three fourths of the London Mission- happy through the Netherlands. Be. ary Society's adherents throughout the yond doubt, on the whole, our dominworld belong to the Madagascar Mission. ion has been a blessing for India. It Each missionary has the oversight of has gradually introduced there order from sixty to seventy congregations. and quiet, peace and security, and here The college' has sent out two hundred and there has promoted prosperity; but and thirty young men, and more than is that enough ? Would that satisfy one hundred and ten of these are still God's ,will ? Have we no concern with in large centres of popUlation, higher than material interests? Shall we not suppose that these magnificent lands have been entrusted to the Chris- tian, the Protestant Netherlands, in
GENERAL MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE
order that their simple.minded, on the and from the written word of doctrine, whole so obedient and far from intel- in order to ground it merely upon the lectually unapprehensive population subjective experience, only covers with might receive a share in our spiritual artificial flowers the bottomless depth be- advantages; that we should bring to fore which it places us. This faith that them the Uh1-istianity in which our ad· is thus left to lean on itself is not the vantages are rooted; the Gospel, which victory that has hitherto overcome the avails for them too as a power unto sal. world or that to-day is overcoming it. If vation ?" – Orgaan der Nederlandsche any work in the world reqilires a faith Zendingsvereeniging (organ of the Neth- that is not left to lean on itself, it is the erlands Missionary Association). work of missions."-Dr. WABNBCX, in – " Islam, in the East Indies, is very AUgemeine Missions.Zeitschrift.
favorably circumstanced for the work of -" There is an extraordinary inorease proselytism. While the Christians have of Jews to be noted generally. In spite to send missionaries from afar, with an of all their troubles and persecutions exclusively religious aim, and so are and tribulations, the nation is rapidly obliged to care for their support, the increasing. There is a great change in Islamites have no concern for any of their social condition. They are no these things. Their millsionaries are longer hooted and spurned in most the Arabs and the hadjis, who come to countries, as they used to be. We trade with the islanders, and Iwho in- know, of course, what is going on in struct them at their ease in the Moham- Russia-but that is the exception, not medan profession. If it were only the the rule. It is the desire of great Prot- Arabs that did this it would be bad estant societies, and generally of all enough; but now that of late years the thinking Protestants, to do good to the voyage to Mecca has become so much Jews. Then there is a general expecta- eosier, many of the natives journey tion, which we cannot deny to be a great thither. On their return they are hadjis, factor in the life of any people, that and have the repute of being initiated there is to be speedily Ii great national into all the mysteries of Islam; and in movement. Even the Jew begins to fact what the islanders need to know of look forward, and even the Jew thinks Islam is so extremely little, that any that, perhaps, after all, he has made a hadji can teach it with small pains. It mistake and that, perhaps, after all, the is simply the well-known profession of Messiah has come; and although you faith, circumcision, and the five duties, have not so many converts as could be of which practically the observance of a wished or expected, there are many single one is commonly held to suffice." thousands, in addition to professors, who -De Macedonier. really in their hearts believe that Jesus MrscELLANEous. Christ is the Son of God. But, my Christian friends. the return of the Jew -" We need a firm foundation nnder to his native land forebodes strife. We our feet if we are to have courage and know that in the last days perilous times joyfulness, to conquer the world for our shall come, and that there will be much Heavenly King; and this sure founda- suffering and sorrow among nations; tion can be no other than the univeraal but we believe that the Jew, with his Divine will of salvation, as it has been proud history and his long lineage, will made known in deed and word, and is again come to the land of his fathers, settled in the Scripture. Missions hover and that the prophecies will be fulfilled in the air if this objective authority for in relation thereto. We know also that the obedience of our faith is under. our Lord will come again with great joy, mined. All the brilliant rhetoric of and we know that we ought to be the modern theology, which divorces faith pioneers in the work. "-MABK STBWAllT, from the historical facts of redemption, ESQ., M.P., in Jewish Intelligence. THE WORLD AT LARGE. every appliance that science, ingenuity, -As a specimen of the" piety" cur- and lavish expenditure of money can rent in Christendom not so many centu· provide to make them comfortable, ries since, this is worth preserving. In spend one or two seasons in Arctic re- 1565, in a ship named The Jesus, Sir gions ; but very little is heard of the John Hawkins had aeized and was trans- men, and women, too, who, with scanty porting to America a cargo of slaves. appliances for making themselves com- Terrible storms were endured, but when fortable, spend twenty.five or thirty captain and crew came out alive, the years, and even their lives, in these officers entered in. the journal: "'Twas same regions, that the dark, desolate of the Lord, who never suffers His elect homes of the natives may receive the light of the Gospel. It takes from to perish '" $25,000 to $50,000 to fit out an Arctic expedition for two years-to do what? -Worth repeating, and equallyappli. Perhaps get a few miles farther north cable in every land under the sun. The than anyone else. But the Church question has frequently been asked, hesitates if asked to provide $10,000 for .. How shall we reach the full· blooded an Arctic mission." Indians with the Gospel?" A Quaker lady says : "To reach the full.blooded -It is two years since a band of mis· Indian, send after him a full-blooded sionaries assembled at Shanghai, China, issued a call for" 1000 men for China," Christian '" to be sent within five years. It was a large draft, but it is likely to be hon. -It is a great question, in what things ored. It is said that 350 of the recruits and just how far to conform to native called foi.- are already in the field. ideas and customs-that is; in non. essential matters like dress, modes of living, music, etc. For example, Dr.
Grundeman is positive that it is a serio -A poor colored man in the West In- ous mistake to attempt to reproduce in dies brought to one of the missionaries India the church architecture of Europe the sum of $13 to help in spreading the or America. -For that land Indian ideas Gospel, and when asked if that were and methods are vastly better. not too much for him to give, replied, -A.D. 395 is the date commonly " God's work must be done, Massa, and given for the complete evangelization I may be dead.'
of the Roman Empire, or three centu. -The following inscription was ries and a half after St. Paul set forth. placed upon the grave stone of a lit- The story of Europe's evangelization tle Irish boy: "I want to be a mis· fills 1000 years. Modern missions, sionary when I grow up to be a man; about which we are sometimes so im· but if I should die before I am old patient for immediate great results, are enough, I want this wish put on my but about 100 years old, and in some of tombstone, so that somebody else may the' great :fields they have been carried see it and go ill my place." on for a much shorter period. -John Ruskin has said, "If you do -Well, really, we must hasten to cut not wish for His kingdom, don't pray down expenses in the foreign field, for for it ; but if you do, you must do more it actually costs as much to support two than pray for it ; you must work for it." , missionary families in Japan for a year as it does to fire a single shot from one -The commander of a Chinese war'
of our big cannons! junk, when asked the nature of his ser- -Or, put it this way, as does Mr. vice, answered promptly: "Why, or- Lopp, a missionary of the American As. ders come, then go; that's it… And sociation in Alaska: " The world lauds why not also receive the command and admires Arctic explorers, who, with given by the Captain of our salvation? -A young Christian negro, who has arrive at Tabor Collegp, Iowa, this year spent four years at the Central Tennes- was Tonami Hyashi, from Kyoto, Japan, see College, in Nashville, Tenn., has sent by one of the missionaries who been called to a throne in Africa. His went out from Tabor_ The last to enter name is Momolu Massaquai, and he is Alexander Vozaks, from ThessaioniclL, came from the Vey country, a region of Greece. In the class of 1893 is a native interior Africa adjoining Liheria_ of Iceland. These all are preparing for -In Abyssinia, it is said, the ilIus- missionary service. A promising Botrated editions of the Bible all have the hemian is also one of the students.
original man, as a matter of course, -Wanted-a just proportion in our ebony-hued, While the devil is always giving to advance the Lord's work.
white. There do not seem to be very many -Dr. Sheldon Jackson, some time Mrs. Jellehys exclusively and absurdly Presbyterian" bishop" of the far North- devoted to Borrioboola Gha on the left west, and now Government Superin- bank of the Niger j for, according to a tendent of Schools in Alaska, seems to report of the foreign missions commitunite in happy fash,ion in his person the tee of the Buffalo, N. Y., Presbytery, functions of church and state. Thus, the Protestant Christians of the United he has heen breaking up the whiskey States expend annually for religious traffic with the Indians. He found 30 work in our own land $80,000,000 per barrels of the stuff on the whaling fleet year, or $1.32 for the evangelization of at Port Clarence, and had the satisfac- each person. The same Protestant tion of emptying it all into the sea. Be- Christians expend in behalf of those in sides. he has been making several trips heathendom $4,000,000 per year, or one to Siberia in search of reindeer, and has third of a cent each for the total popuimported 150, with experienced herders, lation. to teach the Alaskan natives how to take care of ,the animals. Thus it is expected -A missionary in China affirms that " during this very month more money that a new home product of flesh food will be spent in propitiating evil spirits will be provided. Along with these en- that have no existence than all the couraging items, the doctor also reports churches in the United States give in that there are now 34 Indian schools in one year to foreign missions."
Alaska with 1700 pupils. -Homes for the children of missiona- -No missionary periodical has re- ries are becoming refreshingly common cently reached this portion of the edi- in the home field. Thus, in addition to torial table fuller of interesting matter Auburndale, Oberlin has her Judson than the November number of Life and Cottage at least started in an old build- Light for Woman. In particular, Mrs. ing refitted for the purpose, but much Rand's story of calamities is worth read- needing a larger and better structure; ing. and Mrs. Eaton's account of work and the Presbyterian Board is pushing in Chihuahua, Mexico, and of scarcely forward a movement to establish two less interest is Mrs. Gulick's account of homes in Wooster, O.
the girl's boarding·school in San Sebas- -Connecticut contains nearly 30,000 tian, Spain. French Canadians, and Massachusetts -The oldest church in America is that about six times as many_ of San Miguel, in Santa Fe, N. M. It -In addition to the Chinese, and WIlR built in ] 545. Japanese, and Indians, and negroes, THE UNITED STATES. and Italians, and Finns, and Poles, and Hungarians, and Hebrews, Germans, -The ends of the earth are brought Scandinavians, and Irish, and many together. One of the first students to more thrust upon us to be Americanized and taught the Gospel according to the the education and the evangelization of New World conceptions thereof, New the negroes since the war." And it is York City and Brooklyn alone hold not estimated that to this sum the South has less than 45,000 Spanish.speaking peo- added $20,000,000.
ple. -'I.'he reinforcements to the fields of -A writer in the Catholic World, after the Baptist Missionary Union for 1892 a lamentation over the unbelief of numbered 81 missionaries. Of these 29 Americans in the claims of the Catholic returned to the fields of labor from Church, proposes an "apostolate of periods of rest, and 52 were missiona- prayer for the conversion of the United ries going out for the first time.
States." He charitably affirms that Practical Christian Oomity.-The atten- there is " practically little true knowl- tion of the Methodist missionary au· edge of the supernatural life outside of thorities being called to a violation in the Catholic Church." He prints a form Bulgaria of the agreement made years of prayer in which GOD is asked to in- ago with the American Board, they cline the hearts of Americans " to be. promptly rectified the matter, withdrawlieve in Thy Church." He promises ing the new mission begun inadvertent- that "24 masses shall be offered up with- ly in the territory of the Board. out charge for the benefit of those who will recite this prayer daily." -The Freedmen's Aid and Southern Education Society of the Methodist -The Tuskeegee, Ala., Normal and Episcopal Church received for the year Industrial Institute is by, of, and for ending June 30th, 1892, $367,751, aod the colored people; is undenomina- expended $363,613. Of the expenditional ; is located in the midst of the tures, $210,783 was for the support of great" black belt," and has 34 officers schools among colored people. and teachers, and 511 young men and women receiving industrial. mental, and -The income of the American Mis- Christian training to fit them for leader- sionary Association for 1891-92 was ship among their race. Of the 18 build. $430,569. In addition to its splendid ings used, 16 have been constructed al- work among the Freedmen in the South most wholly by student labor. There and the "mountain whites," 90 misis great need of funds for enlargement sionaries and teachers are sustained and to aid indigent pupils. among the Indians, and in boarding and day.schools 500 pupils are found. Be- -The Baptists, Methodists, and Pres· sides, 45 missionaries devote themselves byterians led the way, and now the to the Chinese upon the Pacific coast; Episcopalians, and also the Congrega. and as one result, we find this muchtionalists, follow hard after in declin- sinned-against class contributing $6290 ing to receive any longer government to th e treasuries of the local missions. aid for church schools among the Indians. The world will now watch with -The American Millennial Associadeep interest to see the Roman Catholic tion issues an appeal for funds sufficient Church join this noble procession. J.Jet to send one or more missionaries to church and state be separated and kept China to labor under the care of the apart. China Inland Mission.
-There are 2 Chinese girls studying -The Presbyterian Review, of Toronto, medicine in the University of Michigan, says that in his paper to the Council, who mean to return to their country as the Rev. Dr. Phillips, " the secretary of mISSIOnaries. They have exchanged colored work in the Southern Presbyte- their Chinese names for those of Mary rian Ohurch, made handsome acknowl- Stone and Ada Kahn. There are 3 edgment of the $30 000,000 of Northern young Chinese men also studying medi- money which has been freely spent on cine in the same institution. • Statistios of the Missionary Societies of the [THE following tables are intended to include only Foreign Missions-that is, missions to foreign hence is omitted the work of the Methodists, Baptists and others to Protestant Europe, as well as efforts almost wholly derived directly from the annual report. of the various Societies, and which in most cales figures were not at hand, recourse was had to a number of the most reliabl!, statistical authorities.) Home Missionary Constituency. Income.
·i. . ~ ~ ~ !~ i~ – SOCIETIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.
– – – – – – – – – – . – -~ – – -~ – – iii – – ~ – -~-w;; – – – — – Baptist Missionary Union…………. 1814 6,288 8,061 748,890 $575,773 $80,891 1,068 Southern Baptist Convention…. …… 18t/) 8,824 16,091 1,235,76~ 114.826 8,956 185 Free Baptist………. ..•…•…….•• 1836 1,531 Seventh·Day Baptist….. …………. 1847 1,314 82,683 34,913 215 13 Christian (Disciples)………………. 1875 100 American Christian Convention. . . . • . . . 1886 5,388 110 9,000 4,655 II 2 Congregationalist (A. B. C. F. M.)… .. 1810 1,510 4,886 7,246 641,051 65,366 250 45 1,700 120,000 5,203 ……… . 33 4,985 525,097 841,569 92,723 1,221 Lutheran General Council … , •. " • . •. .. 1869 925 1,995 317,145 1~,675 50 127 Lutheran General Synod…. •..•…•… 1837 979 1,437 164,640 Methodist Episcopal………………. 1819 12,914 25,861 2,240,354 48,772 2,945 12 786,295 169,999 320 BishOp Taylor's African Mission……. 1885 50,000 …….. .. 43 Methodist Episcopal, South…. ……. 1843 Protestant Methodist…..•.•.•.•.•…. , 1882 5,321 15,017 1,266,562 294,578 106 Wesleyan Methodist ………………. 1887 1,441 2,003 147,604 P..,otestant Episcopal……. . . .• . •• •. .. 1835 20,767 290 6 Presbyterian……………………… 1837 300 800 18,000 4,250 5,282 549,250 2,000 300 2 6,331 7,208 880,179 275,601 8,597 228 931,292 49,423 691 Presbyterian, Sonth……………….. 1861 1,239 2,572 182,516 130,276 2,850 132 United Presbyterian…… , ………… 1859 782 902 106,385 114,687 .24,491 20'1 Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) .. ' 1856 120 115 10,574 24,781 1,034 11 Reformed Presbyterian (Gen'! Synod).. 1836 SO 33 4,602 6,000 40 7 Cumberland Presbyterian………… .. 1852 1,670 2,916 171,609 22,499 1,386 10 Reformed (Dutch)………………… 1832 560 572 92,970 112,164 8.032 198 Reformed (German).. .. .. .. … .. .. . .. .. 1878 835 1,554 204,018 15,745 2,079 17 Associate Reformed, South. . .• ••.•. .. 1879 81 121 9.040 4,9~5 800 11 Evangelical Association. . . . . .. . …… 1876 1,864 2,043 145,603 14,899 609: 31 German Evangelical Synod………… 1883 675 870 187,432 10,800 1,000 8 United Brethren…………………… 1853 1,476 4,203 197,12.3 30,000 1,077 282 Friends………… …………… . .. 1868 .. . 794 80,655 29,278 125 22 Canada Baptist …… …………….. 1873 532 550 77,247 36,420 672 15 Canada CongregatIOnalist.. . … ……. 1881 103 140 10,103 2,287 ………. 1 1 Canada Methodist…….. …….. ….. 1873 1,285 1,268 250,89~ 93,060 Canada Pre.byterian……………….. 1844 1,000 I 6,2441 84 1,200 170'1521115'766 4,500 143 = Ten other Societies……….. …….. …… … …… …. …… ……… 178,921 [ 5,3~0 81 _ _ _ _ _T_o..;,tll;""l_'. _……………….. 73.~ lo8.768 iO,797,(f79 $5;006-;283 $469,419 5,346 United States and Canada for 1891-92.
landi, either heathen or Romanist, and nnder the management of missionaries other than natives; and for the evangelization of the Jews, the Freedmen, and even the Indians and Chinese. The figures are covered the bnlk of 1892, and BOmetimes the closing months of 1891. When, as in a few cases, the official Missionaries. I Native Helpers. Countries in which ~• Missions are Sustained.
-~ 1I – – – – – 89,014 12,285 1,188 22,284,India, Burmah, Assam, China, Japan, Africa I 748ICh(Clnoan,gJoa)p. an, Africa, Bra- 2,728 526 20 zil, Mexico, Italy.
7 2 9 8 Ii 13 44 13 815 41 95 3,619 India (Bengal).
2 2 2 …… 14 20 1 32 4 4 70 China (Shanghai). 17 7 12 1,015 158 10 2 .•..• 15 5 11 30 85 4 …… . 1 183 18 434 40,333 3,516 1,123 1 …… 10 …… 13 89 817lJapan, India, China, Tur- 5 ….. . 3 978 76 key. 174 159 200 2,400 3,034 150 Japan (Tokyo and two Ii II 2 89 103 l other centres).
47,380 Africa., Turkey, India, China, Japan, Microne· sia, Mexico, Spain, A us- tria, Hawaiian blands.
1,473 India (Madras).
6 …••. 6 2 3 178 195 374 8,082 848 223 5,174,India (Madras), Africa.
182 ….•. 175 139 247 2,397 3,595 334 24,717 3,636 1,430 86,878 Africa, S. America. China, 34 31 ……… .. 21 86 India, Korea, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Mexico.
9 320 100 38 500 Africa (Congo).
50 ….•. 42 5 … .. 187 284 62 5,980 936 22 800 Africa (West Coast), West 3 . . . .. 13 26 2 217 11 Indie•. Ii .•…. 5 4 241 iJapall (Yokohama, etc.).
2 •.•..• 2 1.. .. 10 15 1 250 10 1 208 Africa (Sierra Leone).
24 8 20 83 56 289 420 . 24 3,203 300 106 3,387 Greece, Africa, China, Japan, Haiti. 46 198 142 165 1,363 2,124 884 30,479 3,430 771 29,011 S. America, Guatemala, 210 Mexico, India, China, Japan, Korea, Siam, Syria, Persia. Africa. 7 33 21 32 91 186 35 2,702 391 26 1,363 China, Japan, Korea, Af- 43 rica, Greece, Italy. Mex- ico, Brazil. 8 24 26 24 494 601 41 10,445 947 253 10,887 Egypt, India.
1 5 7 …… 40 58 3 269 29 28 74OIsyria, Cyprus.
3 ….. 3 ……….. . 12 18 3 100 40 3 30 India (N. W. Provinces).
6 .••••• 66 2 17 37 10 650 89 4 298 Japan, Mexico.
I 24 8 25 14 37 282 385 53 5,559 498 146 4,541 ,China, Japan, India (Arcot). 2 66 Japan (Tokyo and Sen- 3 ….. . 3 3 7 15 31 12 1,656 125 dai).
2 •••••• 21 2 5 12 9 235 24 4 65 Mexico (Tampico, etc.).
7 ….. . 7 …… 5 24 48 5 378 43 18 Japan (Tokyo, etc.).
5 ….. . 4 1 …. .. 24 34 8 356 70 14 410 India (Central). l …. . 4 8 ….. . 40 5fi 25 6,500 1,000 19 600 Africa (West Coast, Sher- bro, Shaingay, etc.). 5 ….. . 36 56 13 465 10 19 848 Mexico, Japan, Syria, etc. 87 17 ….•. 15 ……….. . 102 134 24 2,660 420 41 350 India (Telugus).
2 …… 1 ……….. . 4 ••.. , ……. . ·1 40 Africa (We!t Central).
51 ….. 42 …… 16 89 198 …… 6,494…… 40 2,500 Japan (Tokyo, etc.), I 35 4 27 20 6 214 806 87 6,172 1 . . . . • 101 4,200 China, India, New Hebri- 20 [ ~~ 1,239 I Im 54 52 47 22 70 269 41 3,700 837 5ti .3,209 1,216 9,822 14,524 2,5251l56.649 30,600 5.882 182.205 2:J2 1,116 EUROPE. 218,000 : 140,000 from England. 20,000 from Scotland, from Ireland 57,000. In Great Britain.-This glowing set. 37 years, between 1853-90.3,415,000 Eng. ting.forth of Britain's greatness from lish have emigrated; 710,000 Scotch; an English source may well kindle also 2,832,000 Irish-in all, 7,211,000. To the American heart. And tremendous what numbers they have increased at missionary responsibility comes with their various destinations it is impossi. such dominion : "The material great. ble to calculate." ness of that world-wide realm which hails Victoria queen is indeed amazing. -It reads strangely. Can it benecos· It far exceeds that of any other empire, sary to use $150,000 of the Lord's money ancient or modem. The total area of for such a purpose? ., Dr. Clifford states the whole in square miles is nearly that Mr. Arthington, of Leeds, the well- 9,000,OOO-that is, 74 times the size of known benefactor of missions, is deepthe British Islands. The population of ly impressed with the mournful results the whole is 343,000,000, 9 times that of sectarian and ecclesiastical divisions of England, Scotland, and Ireland. in the mission field, and makes the The revenue of the whole reaches the munificent offer of £30,000 for the proprodigious sum of £222,000,000. Its motion qf denominational comity and mistrade in imports and exports sounds sirmary economy. The offer has set the like a fairy tale-£1,218,000,OOO. Im- friends of union to work, and it is proagination is exhausted as W'l glance from posed to convene a meeting of the secre· the docks of London, with her 5,000,000, taries of the leading missionary sociepast Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, ties at once, to take advantage of the Leeds, and Sheffield, to the lakes, rivers, offer of Mr. Arthington." mountains, and forests of Canada; or to the fabulous splendors of India and -In October last the London Society Burmah ; or to the boundless J'esources bade farewell to 26 missionaries about of Africa, now beginning to be revealed to sail for foreign lands, making in all from the Cape and from Zanzibar; or 40 for the year, an encouragingly large to the stately cities of Australia and fraction of the 100 it is planned to send New Zealand-rivals to the ancient out in four years. European capitals. Canada, it has been said, with its popUlation of 5,000,000, -The Church Missionary Society has is as powerful as England was in the a loan department for supplying magic days of Cromwell, and may be as power· lanterns, slides, curiosities, etc. Dur. ful100 years hence as England is to. ing last:> ear there were loaned 808 sets day. Australia, with her 3,000,000, is of magic lantern slides, 72 lanterns, 347 as strong as the United States were diagrams, 372 maps, 81) sets of curiosi· when they became independent, and ties, and 1039 books. The slides were may at no very distant date be as strong lent for periods varying from one day as they are at the present time. Possi. to a month, and on an average each lanbilities of wealth and power beyond -the tern represented at least two exhibidream of the enthusiast lie within the tions. making a total of from 1600 to grasp of the English race in these inex- 2000 lantern lectures. haustible possessions. Our language is daily spoken by more than 100,000,000 -The United Methodist Free Church of people, is understood by 50,000,000 of England, organized in 1857, has more, and bids fair to become the lan- 417 ministers, 1608 churches, 3341 local guage of the world. The process of preachers, and 85,461 communicants. peopling from these shores the VRst ter. In its missions in Jamaica, Africa, ritories which have fallen to the English China, Australia, and New Zealand it race is continuaUy progressing. In 1890 has 66 ministers, 785 assistants as local the whole number of emigrants was preachers and class lea,ders, and n,7()1) members. -The Primitive M.ethodist Church of months of 1892 they were able to report England, organized in 1812, has 1049 50 Romanists received into 4 of the travelling preachers, 16,317 local preach- churches. ers, and 193,658 members. It has in .Africa 7 European missionaries, 44 white ·-Dr. HBrdeland, for 30 years Director and 486 colored members. of the Leipsic Society, retiring from that position, states that when he began, -The British and Foreign Sailors' So- in 1860, the number of Tamil converts ciety raised over £21,000 (including the connected with the society was 4600, sums raised for local purposes), and the and now it is over 14,000. Then there Missions to Seamen's Society, English were 9 missionaries, and now there are Established Church, raised £28,000 26. The pupils in the schools were during the last fiscal yeBr. 1000, and now there are 4700.
-The Bible Christians of England -The Lutheran Church is being pernave 271 ministers, assisted by 1899 secuted in the Baltic provinces of Ruslocal preachers, and about 30,000 mem- sia. Of 140 pastors in one province, bers. They have 8 missionaries in over 90 have been arrested on various China. pretexts, the chief one being that they have supplied their people with Bibles, -A new missionBrY society has been and so have been engaged in the book formed in England called the" Evan- trade. Another pretext is that they gelization Society for South America," have kept their records in German and taking as its doctrinal basis the Evan- not in Russian. It is plain that the gelical Alliance. It is undenominational government intends to stamp out every in its character, and will seek to co- system of religion but that of the Greek operate as far as possible with other so- Church. cieties in the South American field. The occasion for its formation was the -The Waldensian Church in Italy giving of a large sum of money to the has 137 workers. of whom 44 are pasmissionary bureau in connection with tors, having the oversight of as many the Y. M. C. A. of London, for the pur- churches, and 54 stations where the pose of evangelizing the Indian tribes work of evangelization is carried on. of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. Religious services are held in 200 places, and it has been ascertained that the -Mr. Stanley declares of Alexander Gospel has been preached in the past Mackay that he was " the best mission· year to more than 50,000 persons to ary since Livingstone," and of his char- whom it was not preached, at least by acter," He had no time to fret and Waldensian workers. groan and weep; and God knows if ever a man had reason to think of ASIA. 'graves and worms and oblivion,' and to be doleful and lonely and sad, Mac- -According to Dr. H. H. Jessup, of kay had, when, after murderin~ his Beirut, the Oriental churches contain, bishop (Hannington) and burning his not including any in Greece or Russia: pupils and strangling his converts and Greeks, 1,000,000; Maronites, 230,000 ; clubbing to death his dark friends. Nestorian Catholics, 20,000; Greek Mwanga turned his eye of death on Catholics, 50,000; Jacobite Syrians, him." 30 000; other papal sects, 300,000; Nestorians. 140,000; Nestorians in In- The Continent -The climate is of dia, 116,000; Armenians, 3,000,000; the Arctic order in Austria, and the soil Copts, 200,000 ; Abyssinians, 4,500,000 ; is sterile. But the toilers of the Ameri- total, 9,586,000. Thus we have about can Board in that country are permitted 10,000,000 of nominal Christians scat· to taste in some measure the joys of the tered throqghout the great centres and harvest. For, during the first eight seats of Mohammedan population and impossible cures. One man wants' to power. be made clever, another to be made fat; -III. Persia, as elsewhere in the another to be cured of insanity, another Orient, the missionaries are sorely per- of tobacco, another of whiskey, another plexed over the problem of what to do of hunger, another of tea; another about the steady stream of promising wants to be made strong, so as to con· young men continually setting toward quer in gymnastic exercises; most men Europe and America for education and want medicine to make their beards other purposes. Many of them are thus grow; While almost every man, woman, lost to their people, though converted and child wants to have his or her skin and educated in the mission schools; made as white as that of the foreigner.
or, if they return full of evangelistic -In a Chinese Christian family at zeal, they bring also so many Occidental Amoy, a little boy, on asking to be bap. ideas and tastes as to be largely unfitted tized, was told that he was too young; for service. In particular, their de- that he might fall back if he made a mands for salary are altogether beyond profession when he was only a little the ability of the poverty-stricken popu- boy. To this he made the reply, Jesus lation to pay. has promised to carry the lambs in His -Communications from Persia to arms. I am only a little boy; it will be EngJish papers credit Miss Bradford, oosier for Jesus to carry me." This an American missionary, with remark- logic was too much for the father. He ably faithful service during the recent took him with him, lind the child was cholera epidemic. While others fled, soon baptized.
she stayed bravely at her post nursing -Robert Morrison went to China in the sick, and by her efforts many lives 1807, and died after twenty.seven years were spared. of labor, in 1834. At his death there China.-Theregion of Western China were only four converts and four Prol.
alone, that magnificent new world now estant missionaries in the whole empire.
fast 'opening to exploration and com- Now we find Morrison's converts reo merce, a region comprising the three placed by a host numbering 35,000 provinces of Szchuen, Yunlan, and chUl'ch.members, who last year gave Kwiechow, is larger by 20,000 square $44,000 for the spread of the Gospel in miles than Great Britain, Ireland, and their own land. "Behold these shall France, and contains 80,000,000 inhab- come from far ; and 10, these from the itants. north and from the west; and these -It is two years since a band of mis- from the land of Sinim [or China]" (lsa. sionaries assembled at Shanghai, China, 49 : 12).
issued a call for" one thousand men for -Again has the fateful Hoang.ho, or China," to be sent within five years .Yellow River, overflowed its banks, from the issuing of the call. It was spreading destruction far and wide.
a large draft, apparently, upon the The number of victims is stated at forces of the Church at home, but it 50,000.
is likely to be honored. It is said that -Manchuria, though lying outside three hundred and fifty of the recruits the limits of China proper, is yet a por- called for are already in the field. Fully tion of that vast empire. Its area is five hnndred young men are preparing about 400,000 square miles, and the to be preachers of the Gospel, and proba. population 12,000,000. Rev. John Ross, bly one hnndred and fifty more getting of the Scottish United Presbyterians, ready to be medical missionaries_ It is was the pioneer missionary, entering a good time to live. that country in 1872, and was soon fol- . -In Mongolia the missionary is often lowed by others. some of them sent by asked to perform absurd, -laughable, or the Irish Presbyterian Churoh. And now, after so short a time, there are will of their own. Women, indeed, are more than 2000 in the churches, of human beings, but they are of a lower whom 1550 have been gathered by the state than men, and never can attain to United Presbyterians. The toilers now full equality with them. The aim of number 17. female education, therefore, is perfect submission, not cultivation and develop- -A convert in the Shansi mission ex· ment of mind. In the other world the pressed it well when he was asked how condition of affairs is exactly the same, the Lord had changed his heart, He for the same laws govern there as here." said: .. I cannot tell how it was done, but I know that my heart is exceedingly Japan.-The Universalists report en- not the same." couraging progress in their mission in Japan. Three men and 1 woman are at -The :first insane asylum ever erect- work, together with 2 Japanese converts ed in the Chinese Kmpire is now being just ordained. In the Tokio theological projected by Dr. E. P. Thwing, who, school 6 students are found. with his wife and daughter, has gone to China at his own expense, to complete -A year ago Dr. Gordon received the arrangements at Canton. into one of the mission churches of Japan a woman who had kept a house -Are Chinese converts sincere and in of prostitution. Immediately on her earnest 1 It looks so. For Miss Grace conversion she set free all the girls she Wyckoff, of Pang.chuang, gives an ac- had bought, and since has been useful count of a hot Sunday afternoon in July in leading other notorious sinners to the last when she was greatly surprised to Saviour. see 4 women come into the yard from a .village 10 miles away. Three of them India.-The evils and follies of fash· were over sixty years of age, and their ion are not all confined to ci vilized faces were red with heat, and they were lands. It is in the heathen village of very weary. They came simply for a Senite, Burmah, that the women wear Christian service. At the same meet· from 30 to 40 pounds of brass wire about ing 16 other women were present from neck and limbs for ornament; and so villages at least 6 miles distant, and a attached to them are they, it is counted goodly number from nearer points. a sign of sound conversion when a Karen woman is willing to dispense with -With such teaching as this from the the load of metal. .. divine" classics of Confucius, we can understand why Chinese women are in -The Asiatic Quarterly Revimo is not a condition so abject. The authority is much in sympathy with missionaries. Dr. Faber, an eminent scholar, and the It is all the more remarkable that the statement appeared in the Chinese Mis· editor should speak of them as .. an un- sionary Recorder. Quoth the ancient rivalled disintegrating force," .. true sage : " Women are as different from alchemists, possessors of the philoso. men, as earth is from heaven. Dualism, pher's stone." He asks: "Isthis mag- not only in bodily form, but in the very num opus, on which the teaching of sev- essence of nature, is indicated and pro- eral hundred sects converges, a small claimed by the Chinese moralists of all matter 1 Is it naught to take the base . times, and the male belongs to 'yang,' metal, the outward civilization, the the female to 'yin.' Death and all pomp and riches from the heathen, and other evils have their origin in the to convert this dross for his benefit into , yin,' or female principle; life and blessing everlasting 1" prosperity come from its SUbjection to the ' yang,' or male principle, and it -A fine old Sikh said lately to a mis- iii therefore regarded as a law of nature sionary: .. Sahib, these neighbors of that women should be kept under the ours, since they became Isais (Chris. control of men, and not allowed any tians), have given up lying and thieving, and seem to be altogether changed." !
-For shame, if true! Can it be that the mint of the Holy Spirit."-Rev.
prejudioe has oolored this statement? A. J. Gordon. D.D.
"In India the Plymouth Brethren disturb -A zenana Christian worker in Delhi the missions. They are intense seota- says that there is scarcely a house in rians, and operate upon the mission that city not open to the reception of ohurohes rather than upon the heathen. the Gospel. The mission of the United Presbyterian Churoh at Gunjarala, in Upper India, AFRICA. has been seriously troubled by these proselyters_ Rev_ Babir Masih and his -Thanks to the energy and skill of son-in-law, a teacher in the mission the Frenoh, the Desert of Sahara is beschool, have resigned and joined the coming a garden. Within a few years Plymouthites. This sect is there under 12,000,000 acres of land have been made the direction of a ruan who was origi- fruitful by artesian wells. But there nally an Episcopalian, but who became a are 900,000,000 aores yet to be reolaimed before all the sand wastes are utilized.
Presbyterian, and is now outside of all – The stories told of the wealth to be churches. Its operations tend to divi- found in the gold and diamond fields of sion, always and everywhere." South Africa are well-nigh beyond be.
-An English justice in India, who is lief. Rev. Josiah Tyler, missionary, also honorary treasurer of the native writes of 100,000 ounces of gold a month church councils of the Church Missionary as the product of the Witwattlrsrand dis· Society in the Northwest Provinces, has trict ; and Sir Cecil Rhodes may well be offered a prize of 100 rupees for the best set down as the foremost of millionaires, essay on native churches. The special since he is owner of one of the richest question is the raising up of a self-sup- diamond-mines in Kimberly. a distriot porting native pastorate in that section, which has turned out thirty-six tons of and the essays are to make suggestions diamonds, worth about £6,500,000 a ton, for improved organization, oheapness of or, say, a total of $1,160,000,000. work and voluntary work in the pastoral, evangelistio and educational agencies – ' , The average Afrioan, if at all edu. of the churohes. The writers must be oated," declares Bishop Smythies, of members of the Church of England. Central Africa, "is a muoh more ready The essays may be in English, Urdn, speaker and a much better preacher Roman· Urdu, or Hindi. than the English clergy, when at three- and-twenty they are ordained deacons."
-Roman Catholic papers please copy. -Though it is unfortunate whenever Miss Mary Reed, the young lady mis- in any degree the Gospel must needs sionary of the Methodist Woman's For- lean for support upon an arm of flesh, eign Missionary Society, who was or resort even indirectly to carnal weapstricken with leprosy some months ago, ons, we yet read with pleasure that the and has consecrated her life to work strong arm of British authority is not among lepers in India, will take up her to be withdrawn from Uganda until permanent residence in the leper hos. March 31st of 1893 at least, and possi. pital at Chandag. She has been living bly not at all.
alone in a little bungalow near Miss -In spite of his hosts of terrible Budder's school at Pithoragarh. Amazons, King Behanzin, of Dahomey, -" Nearly $25,000,000 invested in has oome utterly to grief at the hands search for gold in India, and not $2500 of Colonel Dodds and his Frenoh troops, obtained after three years of hard since he has been ernshingly defeated labor."-India Times. "Look at aur in battle. and has lost his oapital, Abo· gold-mine in India -50,000 Telllglls dug mey. Nobody can object to "protec. from the heart of heathenism, whose tion" from such a monster.
faces now shine like precious ooins from -It costs to send missionaries to the new districts ~f Africa; but then it also – " You missionaries trouble us,"
pays. Since 1887, when missionary said an unchristianized Zulu lately.
labor began at Lake Tanganyika, 11 "Before you came our wives got food missionaries have fallen, and 11 others out of the ground for us, and brought have been forced to withdraw. But 3 us children and cattle. You make us centres of labor are firmly established, give up our wives, our beer, cattle for 2 gospels have been translated, and the our daughters, aud want us to spend people have learned to assemble for wor· money for clothes, books, and preach- ship, and converts are being baptized. ers. Life was easy before. You make -It is evident that missionary life, it very hard."
even in the interior of Africa, is not -The Berlin Missionary Society is altogether without its compensations. engaged in 6 sections of South and East For Mr. Arnot, in Garenganza, tells us Africa, and at the various stations has of a hunting expedition in which he gathered 11,456 communicants. A misbagged 8 antelope, 3 zebra, and 2 im- sionary stationed at Konigsberg writes: mense hippopotami. With his larder ,. Twenty-five years ago the number of thus supplied, he gave a Christmas feast baptized heathen in Natal was 2000, and to a great company of the natives, with the hippopotami for the piece de resist- now it is 8000. And the Boers, who ance, and zebra and antelope for side formerly looked coldly on, now regard the mission with favor. dishes. As the only drawback, during – an interval of the supper a family of -The French Protestant Mission in hyenas and 2 dog leopards made an as- Basutoland has 13 principal stations sault upon the camp and captured a por- and 129 out-stations, with day-schools tion of the provender. scattered through the whole country. It -In the Congo region at the present has nearly 8000 children upon its orditime there are 3 Catholic missions and nary school rolls, and has, besides these, 8 Protestant, among which is that found about 700 young men in training, either ed by Bishop Taylor. There are 28 sta- as teachers or in industrial schools tions and 95 missionaries. where trades are taught. At the princi- pal station at Morija there is a printing -It is now 150 years since the first and book-binding establishment, where, Hottentot was baptized by the Mora- a few months ago, an edition of 3000 vian missionary George Schmidt. There copies of a Sesuto reading-book was are at present in Cape Colony, under prepared entirely by native compositors the direction of the Moravian church, and printers. "In this way," says a 11 flourishing stations, with 22 mis- recent visitor, "the native is converted sionaries and about 9300 souls in their from the condition of a loafing savage care; 1 normal school and 19 common to that of a laborer." schools at the stations, with 2200 schol- ars ; 2 ordained natives, 2 aS6istant na- ISLANDS OF THE SEA. tive ministers, and about 150 native as- sistants. -Every Sunday morning 60 per cent -Mr. Swan, of the Arnot Mission in of the popUlation of the Hawaiian Central Africa, writing of the ravages Islands are in the pews of Protestant of the slave trade, says that at Katanga churches. Eighty-three pllr cent of the a boy of eight or ten years brings popUlation of the Fiji Islands are com.
about 40 cents in our money, a young municant members of the Protestant girl from $3 to $4, a woman from $1 to churches. But what a task is laid upon $1.20. Most of them are sold to Bihe the Hawaiian Christians in connection traders or to Arabs from the east. They with the 15,300 Chinese, 12,000 Portu- die in great numbers before reaching guese, 20,000 Japanese, and several the~r destination. thousand Mormons among the natives antI waifs and outcasts from all parts of audience-room with its two galleries was the world! crowded; the singing was magnificent. With one or two exceptions, every so- -Dr. Paton says of the New Hebrides: ciety in the whole colony was represent- .. Since I entered the field, thirty-four ed ; sometimes, in the case of the more years ago, by God's blessing on the nnit- distant, by only two or three members; ed labors of our missionaries He has often by a large company. As the roll given us about 14,000 converts, and of societies was called, each responded about 200 of them are engaged asnative by a passage of Scripture or a verse of a, teachers. " hymn, and the consecration was so genuine and spontaneous. the expres- -It is scarcely a quarter of a century sion so hearty and vigorous, that I am sinee the first baptism in Micronesia. sure the meeting will not soon be for- Now there are 46 self – supporting gotten in the religious circles of Sydchurches, with over 4300 church-mem- ney. Even after the Mizpah benedicbers. tion had been pronounced, the young people could not refrain from ,:inging ; -The United Norwegian 'Lutheran but all the way home through tne dark Church in the United States has been streets, at the railway station, and at notified that the Mission Society of Nor- every suburban place, where the train way will hand over to it the southern left its contingent of Christian Endeavpart of the island of Madagascar, includ- orers, the Endeavor songs were heard." ing the three mission stations, St. Augustine, Mangasoa, and Ft. Dauphin. -The Methodist churches of various names allover Australia are conferring -The rumored occupation by the with a view to union. In Sidney the British of the Johnston Islands in the representatives of the various bodies Pacific Ocean, 600 miles southwest of have resolved. by practically unanimous Honolulu, and of the Gilbert Islands, votes, that union is desirabl!J. The have an important bearing upon mis- name of the united church is to be sionary movements, since the rule of .. The Methodist Church of Australia." England would be more tolerant and conducive to the growth of Protestant· CENTRAL AMERICA. ism than that of Spain.
AUSTRALIA. -The Moravians have received the cordial consent or the Catholic govern. – A missionary training home has ment of Nicaragua to establish a mis. been opened in Melbourne. sion on its territory. It is hoped that this will result in the opening up of the -After hearing two missionary ser- whole of Nicaragua to mission work. mons in Melbourne recently, a man in very moderate circumstances sent $2500 -The Moravian Mission on the Mosto be divided between missions in India kito Coast (Nicaragua) has lost the little and New Guinea. sailing vessel (the Meta), so indispensa- ble to convey the missionaries, mails, -Here is Dr. Clark's account of an provisions, and other necessaries to Australian eonseoration meeting. It their 9 stat.ions north of Bluefields, the reads like a description of one of our capital of the Moskito Indian Territory. great conventions: "I have attended No lives were lost in the wreck, but the many consecration services in my life, schooner and her cargo are a dead loss, but very few that have exceeded in genu- and the vessel must be replaced as Boon ine spiritual power this meeting in the as possible. Centenary Wesleyan Church. The great
The Missionary Review of the World — January 1888
PROSPECTUS OF THE REVIEW FOR 1888
JOINT EDITORS: J. M. SHERWOOD, A. T. PIERSON, NEW YORK. PHILADELPHIA.
VOL. XI. No. 1.—Old Series.—JANUARY, 1888.—VOL. I. No. 1.—New Series.
TEN years ago the Rev. Royal G. Wilder, who had spent 30 years in missionary work in India, unable longer to continue in that field, established this REVIEW at Princeton, N. J., on an independent basis, and has conducted it until now with remarkable energy and ability and won for it a very high character in all missionary circles. Failing health constrained him a few months since (he has since been called to his rest) to relinquish, with great reluctance but entire acquiescence in God's will, the further conduct of it; and at his earnest request Rev. A. T. Pierson and Rev. J. M. Sherwood consented to assume the editorship and regular issue of THE MISSIONARY REVIEW, beginning with January, 1888. In accepting the sacred trust, we realize the responsibility connected with it, and are anxious not only to carry on the work, so happily begun, but to enlarge the scope of the magazine, and broaden the field of its influence. Hence we propose at the start greatly to enlarge it, making it a monthly of 80 pages, give it a fine mechanical appearance, enlarge its scope, increase its literary and intellectual attractions, and bring it into harmonious relations with all the great missionary agents and movements of the age-in a word, to make it THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD in fact 'as well as in name-a Review truly Representative of the Spirit, Policy and Work of Modern Missions in their Unity, Entirety, and Universality.
THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD will embrace the following departments and features : I. LITERATURE OF MISSIONS. We shall studiously aim to give to the REVIEW a high literary and intellectual character, putting it in this respect on a par with our best Quarterlies and Literary Monthlies. The Missionary literature of the world is already rich in materials, and is rapidly increasing in breadth and in the power of inspiration and instruction. The annals of the past, and all new materials in this department, will be laid under generous contribution to impart value and interest to the pages of the magazine. The ablest pens available, and from all parts of the wide field, will be enlisted in this service. Essays, addresses, biographies, missionary sermons, travels, discoveries, missionary life, and discussions of the vital themes and questions relating to the policies and methods,
which will arise from time to time in the broad field of the world's missions, will combine to inform, interest and inspire the friends of the cause.
A sharp eye will also be kept on the current issues of the press, at home and abroad, and whatever appears in books and periodicals of special interest to missionary readers will be brought to the attention of our patrons. Each month will present a resume of current discussion and press contributions to the Literature of the missionary work.
II. MISSIONARY ORGANIZATIONS. As far as space will permit, a detailed account will be given in each number of some specific part of the general field and of the particular societies operating on it, so arranged and apportioned as that the entire missionary field of the world shall be embraced in our report of each year, and due attention given to all important missionary organizations and agencies known to exist. Thus a bird's eye view of the universal life and operations of the grand missionary cause will be given in each volume. It will be a yearly Epitome of the History of Modern Missions.
III. CORRESPONDENCE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. The editors will put themselves en rapport with all the chief Missionary Societies, Missions, and workers in all lands; they will establish Editorial Correspondents in every part of the field, so as to insure the latest and most reliable intelligence from every available quarter, and co-operate with the friends of missions everywhere in pushing the Missionary Cause to the front, and in imparting increased power and efficiency to the vast machinery of missions. They will strive to make THE MISSIONARY REVIEW a focal light and guide to "the whole sacramental host of God's elect." moving in concert for the subjugation of the world to Christ.
IV. PROGRESS AND FRUITS OF MISSIONARY WORK. This department will contain a comprehensive account of the leading missionary events of the month, embracing the receipts, disbursements and operations of the various societies; items of special interest from the various fields; facts, statements, experiences and appeals bearing direct on the missionary cause, and whatever else will be of special interest to all engaged in the work. This will furnish a practical Summary of what has been attempted and accomplished during each month throughout the entire field of operations.
v. STATISTICS OF THE WORLD'S MISSIONS This department will be emphasized and made of the utmost interest and value to the friends of missions everywhere, and especially to pastors and those who conduct the Monthly Concert. It will be a unique and leading feature of the REVIEW. No pains or reasonable expense will be spared to obtain the fullest, and latest, and most reliable figures and statistics of the world's entire missionary operations, both in the Home and Foreign fields, and so to classify, arrange and tabulate them as to make them of the highest practical value. The labor in this department will be immense, but the result will be worth more than the price of a year's subscription to every pastor, every public library, every missionary society, and every intelligent friend of the cause of Missions. We mean to make the REVIEW an authority on this subject.
VI. THE MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS will be under the special charge of Dr. Pierson, who, in addition to being the pastor of a large and efficient church, possesses special qualifications for this service. His best endeavors will be put forth to make this important service increasingly attractive and profitable, and to suggest topics and methods in aid of pastors and others in the conduct of it that will make the REVIEW an indispensable aid to them, and to every church which observes the «Monthly Concert of Prayer for Missions."
VII. INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT. This will be under the editorial charge of Rev. J. T. Gracey, D.D., of the « International Missionary Union," who will be able to make it highly conducive to the general purpose and scope of THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD.
VIII. EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS of special interest to missionary circles. These will be brief, condensed, and on a great variety of topics, which we have not space to discuss at length and yet shall wish to express an opinion upon.
If this ideal of the editors can be realized-and we believe it can be -THE MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD, with God's blessing- for whose glory this work is undertaken by them-may become a great power for good. World-wide in its field and scope; independent of local and ecclesiastical boundaries and prejudices; fearless and independent in its expression of opinion and in its advocacy of methods and policies; consulting the highest interest of the Cause in its widest relations; having an eye on the entire field, and lending a helping hand wherever needed; and presenting a current history of that work, which is «the glory of the age," in all its departments and agencies and results, it must possess an interest and a value far above that of any other missionary magazine of the world.
We congratulate the friends of missions that we have been able to secure as Publishers of this Review, Messrs. Funk & Wagnalls, 18 and 20 Astor Place, New York, by whom it will hereafter be published.
This enterprising House is too well known in the book world, and in religious circles, to need any introduction or indorsement from us.
We expect to issue the January number at an early date, and succeeding numbers on or before the middle of each month in advance, to be in ample time for the Missionary Ooncert.
NEW YORK, OCTOBER, 1887.
J. M. SHERWOOD.
A. T. PIERSON.
SALUTATORY
I.-LITERATURE OF MISSIONS.
SALUTATORY.
[EDITORIAL.] CICERO says that the orator, in the exordium of his address, should establish between himself and his hearers a mutual understanding, and get with them upon a common ground.
The same law applies to the editor and author. It is highly important, that, at the very outset, the writer and reader should understand each other; and therefore we give these opening pages of this Review to a word of salutation and explanation addressed to all our readers.
Led, as we believe, by the Providence of God, we undertake to carry on a good work which originated ten years ago in the mind and heart of a beloved returned missionary from India, *and which has, by his hand, amid much physical suffering, been carried to its present stage of growth and success. God's workmen are constantly changing but His work goes on. We have yielded to what seemed a providential pressure thrusting us unexpectedly into the gap left by the necessary retirement of the previous editor from the control of the Review, and we shall seek to perpetuate and perfect what was originally designed and has been so far, and so well, developed under his care.
It does not always follow that even a good work needs to be carried on : sometimes it reaches completion, and addition is superfluous. In this case we conceive that to discontinue this Review would be disaster. So far is it from a finished structure, that thus far only the cornerstone has been laid and the foundation built; the scaffolding is not yet ready to be removed, and we are beginning a new story with such modifications as the building demands as it advances.
There is now room for more of the literary, the æsthetic, the intellectual; a demand, as circulation increases and a firm financial basis is secured, for the best labor properly compensated. We have no less aim than to make this Review the commanding Missionary Magazine of the World, sparing neither labor nor money to make it one of the foremost agencies for the evangelization of the world and the information, organization and co-operation of disciples in the direction of world-wide missions.
That such a Review is needed, we should be ashamed to argue. There are two great, potent factors which must enter into the solution of the problem of missions-the tongue and pen. The printing-press multiplies them both a thousandfold. It gives volume and compass to the voice, like the trumpet of a Titan, and it scatters the products of the pen, as though it had at command the hundred-handed giants that helped the Titans. Great is the power of type and of printers' ink! Surely we should leave out a whole division in mustering our forces, if, in going forth to a world's conquest for Christ, we should neglect the printed page.
Facts are the fingers of God. There is no logic like the logic of events; no demonstration like the demonstration of the Spirit. Apathy, and even antipathy, toward the work of missions, are turned into positive and powerful sympathy, when a true disciple learns how mightily God has wrought and is working with the little missionary band. Men, like James Hannington, who once were indifferent to foreign missions because they were ignorant of them, have, like the martyr bishop of Africa, found that a simple knowledge of the wonderful work of God's Providence and Spirit, even among the most depraved and degraded tribes, has lit a flame in their souls that could neither be quenched nor confined; a flame that has grown into a fire, a conflagration-consum- ing selfishness and worldliness; displacing the carnal lusts-appetite, avarice and ambition, by a divine ardor and fervor, passion for souls, and zeal for the glory of God.
To put such facts before the reader, in the most truthful and telling form, comprehensively and attractively, is one of the foremost objects of this Review. We shall aim to exhibit the miracles of missions, which are at once signs of Christ's messiahship, manifestations of the Power of God, wonders of the Spirit, and works possible only to Deity.
To secure a proper and perpetual stream of such information, we shall seek to secure a large number of tributaries. First, we shall, as fast as we are able, select a large and competent corps of editorial correspondents, who shall sustain a close relation to the Review, and by whose contributions these columns will be enriched. Next, we purpose to find at least one commanding personality in every great missionary territory, and especially at great strategic centers, who shall be as a living link between the Review and the various fields of Christian effort. Furthermore, we hope to secure able contributions from men and women of learning, piety and consecrated spirit, whose opinions compel respect, whose statements are accurate and authoritative, and whose suggestions are sagacious and practical.
The need of such a Review of missions is pressing. The demand is immediate and imperative. With all the existing channels for conveyance of information and the exchange of views, there is yet a wide gap to be filled. The work of missions is world-wide, and we need a missionary Review of the World; the need of man is universal, and so must be our survey; the whole church is called to this grand crusade, and the Review must be unsectarian and undenominational, gathering the whole army, with all its tribal standards, closely about the Tabernacle and Ark of God; the Christian nations are all united in the work, and hence the Review will be international; and as even the best methods are liable to be defective, and custom is often, as Cyprian says, only the" Antiquity of Error," a true Review will be critical though not controversial, and will aim, not only at a wide view, but at a close, careful, candid review.
The time is now especially ripe for such an undenominational, international, independent missionary organ, as a means of expression and impression, communication and co-operation, education and evangelization. Missions are comparatively modern. The Church slept for more than a thousand years; then slowly awoke to the sense of a world's destitution and her own obligation. Let us remember that it yet lacks five years of a full century since in Widow Wallis' humble cottage at Kettering, that first Missionary Society was organized in England, that was the pioneer of the whole host now numbering over one hundred organizations. And already, and within the lifetime of some veterans still living, the network of missions has overspread the globe. Surely it is time that in this special department there should be abundant and adequate agencies to put and keep before the reading public the entire progress and prospects of the grand campaign which is now conducted by all Christendom against the strongholds of the Pagan, Moslem and Papal world!
Such is our word of Salutation. The primary object of this Review is not money-making, but the informing of disciples, and the quickening of our whole church-life, the promotion of an intelligent interest in the work of missions everywhere and the inspiring of an unreserved personal consecration to the work. We desire the fullest support of a large constituency of readers, in what we undertake as an unselfish labor of love for the sake of Christ and His Church. As the circulation of the Review increases and its income allows, more and more will be expended upon the periodical itself, that we may give back to the reader and subscriber the largest returns for his investment; and it is our fond hope that by the abundant blessing of God upon our labor, direct and indirect results may follow, on the largest scale, in furthering and hastening a world's evangelization.
Gladstone says that eloquence in the orator is "receiving from the audience in a vapor what he pours back upon them in a flood. " We shall depend largely upon our readers for the inspiration in our work; and we hope that whatever is received from the subscribers to this Review by way of its support, they may find comes back to them in abundance; that, like the water poured on the roots of the cocoanut tree, which returns in the sweet milk of the cocoanut itself that falls from the top, there may be not only an equivalent rendered but something sweeter and richer by way of recompense.
IN MEMORIAM: REV. ROYAL GOULD WILDER
IN MEMORIAM: REV. ROYAL GOULD WILDER.
Born Oct. 27, 1816, Bridport, Vt. Died Oct. 10, 1887, New York City.
THIS heroic man, the originator and for ten years the editor of THE MISSIONARY REVIEW, closed a life of service and suffering by a blessed entrance into glory, on the very day on which, to his successors in the editorial work, the REVIEW was formally transferred. He only tarried long enough to see the transfer completed and to bestow his blessing on the new administration, and then took his departure for the better country.
It is no mere tribute to a predecessor, however, that impels us to erect to him, in this first number of the new series, a memorial tablet. Though his kingdom came not with observation, and no trumpet was sounded before him, the veteran who, having passed his allotted three score and ten, has been honorably retired from earthly service and gloriously promoted to a heavenly sphere, was no common man. His name belongs high up on the roll of missionary heroes, among the "King's mighty men" and valiant ones, and we gladly open our series of missionary biographies with a pen profile of Royal Gould Wilder.
Few there be that find their way to their sphere of service through such a strait and narrow path. His was no "royal road to learning." He was one of twelve children, and the family knew what it was to struggle against poverty. The father's name was Abel, and he was born in Maine, near Portland, and by trade a ship-carpenter, but was also a shoemaker and farmer, ready to turn his hand to any employment to get bread for his wife and children, but unable to provide luxuries-even those of an education. His mother, Hannah Payne, descended from Robert Treat Paine, was of a high family and of rare ability. Her father was a school teacher until he was sixty, and she grew up amid education and refinement. Shortly after marriage she with her husband removed to Vermont, and during the year in which Royal was born there was a great revival, and his father and mother joined the church that same year. Afterward they moved again to Franklin County, New York, then regarded as somewhat "far west." It is certain that the family endured great hardships and were very poor for a long period of years-during the entire boyhood of Royal. In course of time the natural increase in the value of property, hundreds of acres of which were cleared by his father and brothers, bettered their circumstances, and to-day the three brothers and three sisters who survive him are living in comfortable homes, showing those elements of character which insure worldly success.
Royal went to district school in winter, and was the first to enter an "academy," as he was the only one to enter a college. With a keen relish for reading, before he was ten years old he devoured every religious book that came in his way, and even the papers of whatever date. His father's library was very small, but what it contained was not trash, and the young lad grew strong on such books as the "Pilgrim's Progress" and the "Saint's Rest."
When he determined to seek an education, his father could give him no help. His time and a cow composed the curious capital which was Royal's only dependence; and in the academy at Malone it was the beef from that cow that kept him at school the first term. Many a time he cut in one day two cords of wood, to relieve his father's financial distress or his own.
His first money he earned by selling melons at Malone, and the half dollar he got he kept his hand on, even in his pocket as he ran home, till a stumble compelled him suddenly to withdraw his hand, and away went the precious coin down a hole. Royal was not a boy to give up easily, and down he went on hands and knees, and dug away till he recovered his lost half-dollar. The incident was typical and prophetical of his future; only what he digged for was not silver or gold.
At thirteen years, began his religious life as an intelligent, conscious experience. He had been brought up to pray, and on one occasion, at least, had found the value of prayer. Going through the woods to find his brothers, and carry them dinner, he got lost and wandered about dazed and bewildered, coming back continually upon his old track. Then he knelt down and prayed for guidance; rose and determined to trust in God and go straightforward, following one direction; presently he emerged from the thicket, coming out into the very field where his brothers were at work. Here was another typical and prophetical incident. He got into many a tangled thicket afterward; but never did he forget Him who had led him out into light and safety, and in answer to prayer he was guided in every new experience of darkness and danger into a larger liberty and success.
Though he first consciously found Christ as a Saviour in time of revival, his religious life was singularly free from emotionalism. He had no sudden transitions nor violent revulsions of feeling. Mainly through an awakened conscience, a calm but quick sense of duty, and the study of the Word of God, he came to accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord. At that time his sister Hannah joined the Baptists, as that sect prevailed in the neighborhood where the family lived; but he preferred the Presbyterian fold, and at sixteen united with Dr. Parmelee's church at Malone. Never but once had he uttered an oath, and he never forgot it. His religious frame though always calm, was never cold; he was moved more by love and less by fear, more by deliberate judgment and choice than by sudden impulse or glowing enthusiasm. He knew he must found his whole Christian hopes upon the new nature regenerate in Christ; and believing that God had wrought in him the new creation, he enjoyed a quiet assurance seldom disturbed by doubts.
He studied by night by the light of pine knots, and worked by day to get the pine knots for his fire and the books for his study, until he entered Middlebury College in his twentieth year.
When he left home, his capital in life was less than ten dollars, most of which he had saved, and a dollar of which his mother gave him the morning he left home for college. He walked the entire distance, working his way over the lake by helping in the loading and unloading of the boat, and going barefoot part of the way to save his shoes. The same habits of frugality and economy and bodily exertion followed him through life.
From first to last he was a patient plodder. So desirous was he of a training for a useful life that he was willing to work from five o'clock in the morning till breakfast, and from noon till school again opened; that he might pay his board, cutting hay in summer, and splitting wood in winter, to earn the right to be a full-grown and well-equipped man. In college it was the hand on the axe-handle and the bell-rope that helped him through. When he was graduated in 1839 he had worked his passage; but he had won deserved honors, for, with his classmate, Foote, he stood-they two at the head of the class, and, strangely enough, they two had been born on the same day.
When he turned from the flattering prospects of a high position at home to spend his life among the pagans of Asia, he left a path that might have led him where one of his schoolmates, Mr. Wheeler, afterward came-to the Vice-Presidency of the nation. Foote, his twin honor-man, said to him: "Wilder, why bury yourself among the heathen?" Mr. Wilder was singularly attached to Mr. Foote, and for years they corresponded. Foote rose rapidly in his profession; very successful as a lawyer, he amassed wealth, and married a woman of unusual beauty. But death, in the midst of his prosperity, smote wife and daughter, and poor Foote blew out his own brains!
Mr. Wilder taught in Mississippi and Vermont; and then went to Andover for a theological course. There he found a missionary band, like the famous "Haystack band" of Williams, with the same constitution and covenant. Only twelve belonged to it, and even the professors seemed to feel little interest in it, but Royal Wilder became a member, heard Dr. Grant of Persia and Dr. Scudder of India, and others, speak on the great needs of a lost world, and so the missionary was preparing and maturing for his work. Here he had his first and last period of doubts about the Divinity of Christ. They were incident to the transition period when the mind was budding into full independence. Henceforth he was to feel too much of the Divine life of Christ in himself and see too much of the Divine power of Christ in others, to doubt that He was the Son of God. He was graduated from Andover in 1845. At the last, R. S. Storrs, Jr., was his classmate-and when he with five others of his class became missionaries, they all went to India, leaving Storrs to remain behind and become the Corinthian column of the Congregational Church in this country, while they departed for the regions beyond.
His missionary life was the final flowering of a gradual growth. No sooner did he believe himself to be a disciple than, like Dr. Duff, he began to feel the value of other souls and a yearning to save them. The idea of a mission to the heathen world was slowly and steadily taking form within him; first consciously turned toward the lost in other lands by reading Jonathan Edwards on Redemption, the story of "Henry and his Bearer" especially interested him in India.
During his college days Mr. Wilder became acquainted with a family living near West Rutland Village, Vt. In this family he found deep piety and a love for missions. The aged grandfather said, he thought he had not missed reading a page of The Missionary Herald for twenty years.
At the time of the departure of missionaries for the Sandwich Islands a collector visited this home to solicit funds. The devoted mother gave something, but her sad countenance that day showed her deep disappointment that the gift was not larger. As she gathered, with her nine children, for family prayers, she asked God to accept of one or more of her children for missionary work. A daughter in that group says of this incident-"that prayer struck me." This daughter was the one chosen to help cheer Mr. Wilder in his great work. For some five years the two were many a time alone at communion services. She shared with him the anxiety of the first months at Kolapoor when almost in despair of striking rock for the foundation of his church. She suffered with him the violence of the people who one night hurled a large stone through the window pane across the cradle of their little girl. She was his companion in such experiences as meeting a snake in the parlor, finding a scorpion on her son's coat, seeing a panther while on her morning walk, living for weeks in the mountains without seeing a white face. But she had also the joy of starting the first girls' school in a kingdom where not a respectable woman or girl could read, and of welcoming to the communion table, as the first native convert in Kolapoor, a woman.
Mr. Wilder's intention was to go to the Walled Kingdom. But Dr. Anderson, then Secretary of the A. B. C. F. M., wanted him for Ahmednuggur. The greater need was to Mr. Wilder always the louder voice, and so he went to India. From the day of his connection with the Andover Band he had no hesitation in promptly, cheerfully following the leading of God.
When his vessel was ready to sail, he departed from Malone, and his departure was the means of a revival in which many were added to the Church. His father rejoiced to give up his son to such a great work as was before him. His mother, to whom he had been particularly devoted, and for whose sake he had walked from Middlebury to Malone to spend vacations, was dead.
The vessel rounded the Cape of Good Hope and consumed 121 days in the passage to Bombay. Mr. Wilder had given three months, at Newark, Delaware, to the study of Mahratta, and, after another three months in India, Mr. Ballantine, being called away, asked him to preach. The invitation was a joke, but Mr. Wilder actually accepted it and did preach. The native Christians were astonished and said, "We prayed for him."
In Ahmednuggur Mr. Wilder spent six years. The day he reached there, he found a seminary with from fifty to eighty boys. Very soon after his arrival, this seminary was put under his care by a vote of the mission. Within a year there were six city schools, and, within three years, twenty more village schools. Fees had been given to induce attendance; he did away with fees, and had a larger and better school.
He went to Kolapoor in 1852. This city was especially holy in Brahmin eyes, and never had been contaminated by the presence of missionaries. The day he got there the leading Brahmins petitioned for his banishment. But, undismayed, he got a foothold and worked five years for his first convert. His school was the entering wedge of all his success. At the time of his coming he found in Kolapoor 44,000 inhabitants, and only one school, in a back street, with twelve boys in it. When he left, a college building, at Government expense, costing $200,000, had been built, and «Father Wilder" was asked to make the address at the opening. He was too busy to comply, but his associate, Mr. Seiler, made the address, and took as his theme, "The Evidences of Christianity."
The cholera drove him from India in 1857, and by a remarkable Providence, he sailed the very day after the breaking out of the great mutiny of the Punjaub. Some of his nearest European neighbors were killed in that massacre.
To this period belongs his well-known disagreement with the American Board. He was an ardent advocate of schools and edncation, and next to actual conversion he placed the education of the Hindoos. He zealously urged the hiring of pundits and native teachers where Christian teachers could not be obtained, and refused to curtail his schools and school-work because he could not get just such teachers as he wished. This got him into a difficulty with Dr. Anderson, and resulted in the abandonment of his mission and his dismissal from the Board. Backed by his Presbytery and friends in this country, he returned to India in 1861, and went back to conduct his work on an independent basis. For twelve years he labored, supported by no Board or Society. However low the funds ebbed, he would never give up. At one time, in distress for means to carry on his work, he and his devoted wife covenanted to commit all to God anew in prayer; and the next morning's mail brought eleven hundred rupees from an unknown donor in Calcutta; and to this day the source of that benefaction is a secret. The mission received cordial support from Sir Bartle Frere, Governor of Bombay; Col. Phayre, Robert Arthington of Leeds, and others. But it was sustained wholly by voluntary gifts. These years of simple trust, leaning on God, were the happiest years of Mr. Wilder's life, and became the basis for his subsequent and enthusiastic .advocacy of the voluntary principle in missions.
In this enterprise he was largely aided by the English, because they thoroughly respected him, and also by the natives themselves. Sir Bartle Frere and other prominent Indo-Europeans have said that Royal G. Wilder did more for the present system of national education in India than any other man. From 1861 to 1869 he was a constant contributor to the Bombay Times and Gazette on that subject, and wrote the editorials for the former paper relating to educational matters. He was prominent in memorializing Parliament and inducing the Indian government to establish the present system of national education. The money obtained from his contributions to the Indian press aided, in no small measure, in the support of the mission that he conducted for so many years at Kolapoor.
At the date of suspension of schools by Dr. Anderson, Mr. Wilder's scholars numbered some 500 boys and 100 girls. He writes of this: "Our deepest conviction from all past experience assures us that the loss of these schools involves the sacrifice of our most effective agency for prosecuting our missionary labors. If our Deputation could exchange places and labor with us for a twelvemonth, we cannot, for a moment, doubt that they would advocate these schools with all the persistency and authority with which they now oppose them. Our friends in India have manifested a very kind interest in these schools from the first, and it may gratify them to know that their generous contributions have wholly supported them. Not a farthing of their expense has come from the home funds of the Board, since their origin." Before Mr. Wilder came home in 1857 the schools were reopened. While at home the mission was abandoned. His appeal, published at the time, gives the reason for his returning as an independent missionary. Upon reaching India he found that his beautiful church, the only one among 252 heathen temples, had been sold and turned into a Mohammedan mosque.* He was remarkably helped in getting the site for his second church. He closed the year 1863-the second after his return as an independent missionary-with a native church of eight communicants and four baptized children.
In 1855 an intelligent man visited him from the Putwardhun States, and showed so much interest in the truth, that he gave him a Bible, hymn-book, catechism and the creed. He returned to his country and was lost sight of for nine years. In a report of 1864 Mr. Wilder writes: "On our recent tour he was the first man to visit us at Sanglee, brought all the books carefully preserved, and read and repeated from memory portions of Scripture, the creed, a tract of eight pages, and the entire cathecism of forty pages; avowing his faith in the truths and doctrines thus learned."
After building a home and church Mr. Wilder devoted himself with renewed energy to village work. The report of 1872 speaks of the interference of the S. P. G. His characteristic firmness was shown in this experience. This was a sore trial to him, and in the Appendix to the Report of 1871, his reasons are fully stated for his course.
Mr. Wilder was very anxious to stimulate in native Christians a desire to work for souls, not because paid for doing so but from love to Christ. In 1873 he writes: "Only four of all our converts receive any support from the mission, and these, small monthly sums of Rs. 8, 7, 5 and 3 as Christian teachers. "
The property of the Kolapoor Mission he gave in 1871 to the Presbyterian Board, and in 1875 left the field of his labor, partly from considerations of health, and partly to educate Robert and Grace in this country. The time between his sailing for India and his resignation from the Board covered a period of nearly thirty-two years.
During those thirty years he had preached in more than 3,000 cities, towns and villages, had scattered over 3,000,000 pages of tracts, had gathered in schools over 3,300 pupils, 300 of whom were girls. In a parish of 4,000,000 of people he and his wife were the only persons to take care of their souls. Beside all this work he had been on committee for translation and revision of the Bible; and was one of the committee in the Mahratta language, spoken by 16,000,000 people. Up to the time he left India he had already written and published commentaries on three gospels, and had edited and translated many books.
His hand was not forgetful of its cunning, even as his tongue did not cleave to the roof of his mouth. Every nail in the roof of his church building at Kolapoor he drove with his own hammer, and when the houses went up to shelter converts' families he led in the work. In the early years of the mission, he wrote many articles for the press, chiefly on educational subjects; and it is said by those in high official position, that his anonymous letters in The Times of India influenced Parliament in adopting measures for the education of the masses. He was offered a very influential position in the educational department.
His whole policy in India was to watch for the opportunities to plant and support indigenous primary schools. He cared for no high colleges. His ruling passion was to lift up the masses. He graduated salaries of teachers according to the number and progress of their pupils, thus indirectly striking a blow at caste by setting a premium on numbers and proficiency, without reference to the class from which pupils came. He encouraged only a moderate allowance to helpers, on the ground that natives could not support men who received large salaries. Like Wheeler on the Euphrates, he felt that by the tithe system ten believers might support a teacher or preacher who was willing to live on their level as to expense.
Whereas when he first went to Kolapoor there was not in the kingdom one respectable woman who could write or read, only recently they have sent to this country for a governess to go to the palace itself.
Of incidents, this one may illustrate the power of direct prayer. One day he had preached in some eight villages. Disputations and popular indifference had made him feel discouraged, and thus wearied he sat under a tree to rest. While here a coolie came from his home, bringing provisions, bread, etc., and also the overland mail. The mail was the most welcome. Among other letters was one from a dear friend in Philadelphia. It contained words of warm sympathy and encouragement, and more than all, this assurance: "Brother Wilder, we are praying for you by name every Wednesday evening." The effect of this letter and the blessing which came with it were immediate. He rose from under that "juniper tree" with fresh realization of nearness to God. He walked two miles to a large town. He went, as was his custom, directly to the Pahtil-the head man of the town. He was in his court-room, surrounded by some fifty clerks, but received him in a polite, cordial way, and upon learning his errand ordered all the clerks to drop their work and listen. After Mr. Wilder had talked about an hour they urged him to continue, and before he closed those learned men were wiping the tears from their eyes. This is one of the choicest experiences in his life, showing the power of the simple story of Christ's love. No wonder he believed in special objects for prayer and gifts. His convictions of Missionary methods, both at home and on the field, seem to have been rooted into his very nature by deep personal experience. This was so of his conviction that native churches should have native pastors; that native churches should be self-supporting; that native Christians should be trained to responsibility, and taught to keep on a level with their neighbors, that they might win them, and show them that they had not become Christians to better their temporal condition. The prayer-meetings were largely reporters' meetings. From the Christians were expected accounts of services, interviews, discussions, etc. Sometimes he would call on them by name for their report of the week. These reports suggested very definite subjects for prayer. This was true also of the women's prayer-meetings conducted by Mrs. Wilder. Praying in meeting was a part of their Christian life.
Mr. Wilder was, so far as known, but once in peril of his life. On the outskirts of a village a mob gathered around him, and demanded money. Though mou:p.ted on his horse, the leader of the gang had hold of the bridle; so, for a few minutes, the missionary seemed completely in the power of the fierce men. With seeming Cf'mposure he entered into a conversation with them. Their interest increased; he held their attention until he noticed the grasp on the bridle gradually loosening. Watching a favorable moment he spurred his horse and with a boun~ was out of their reach.
On his return, in 1875, he himself crossed the Continent and left his luggage and property to come by sea. Rounding the Cape of Good Hope, his goods were lost in the vessel's wreck. But among those lost effects was his whole manuscript on the Kolapoor kingdom, with full diary of his missionary work.
During later years his home has been in Princeton. There his parlor has been the Sabbath afternoon gathering place for the students, and the training school for missions.
In 1877, he started THE MISSIONARY REVIEW. The readers of that Review will not need to be reminded of the causes which led to its establishment. Even before he went to the General Assembly and presented his vigorous, incisive criticisms of the methods and expenditures of the Presbyterian Board, he felt there was need of a periodical that would review missions from a point of prospect more elevated than any denominational one, and the REVIEW became the channel for the expression of his personal convictions founded on a long and large experience, and a means of presenting the status of all missions of all denominations throughout all heathendom and nominal Christendom.
He yearned to return and die in India, and nothing held him back but his waning strength and the REVIEW. But so soon as he felt that the REVIEW was provided for, he determined, notwithstanding his keen bodily suffering, to sail for Kolapoor. "My whole soul," he said, "would leap, could I go back. Could I not place twenty missionaries there at once?" That humble Presbyterian Church at Kolapoor was very dear to him, for in its construction his own hands as well as heart were engaged for months. When the church first built by him, was sold to the Mohammedans, and a mosque built on the old site, it is characteristic of his quiet persistence to have bought ground and placed the new church as near as he possibly could to the site of the old one, and his efforts to obtain that site make a very interesting story in themselves.
To the last his heart went out to Kolapoor, and he charged his son Robert to settle about fifty miles from there, in a district peculiarly destitute, where, when he once told the story of the cross, the people with weeping followed him quite a distance, yearning to hear more.
His dying eyes were fixed on Jesus. When the death of his daughter, in 1861, was referred to, and he was asked: "Do you expect to meet her in heaven?" he said, "Yes; but it is my Saviour about whom I think most."
In looking over Mr. Wilder's life, we are impressed with the singular appropriateness of the motto he chose for the REVIEW: "Nil desperandum, Christo sub duce," as applied to his experience.
As a young man, he was extremely retiring and bashful and painfully sensitive; and at times he has, to very intimate friends, expressed his amazement that God had used him, and accomplished through such material His work. It seemed almost incongruous to him that one so timid and shrinking should be thrust into such severe fighting in the forefront of battle.
Of the tender side of his nature few can form a true estimate. These things do not appear in any public reports.
His life closed very beautifully and appropriately when his work was done. The last Saturday, Oct. 8, he sent proof to the printers to complete the closing number of the last volume of his REVIEW, and on the very day when the final arrangements were completed for its transfer to other hands, "he was not: for God took him."
MISSIONARY PROBLEMS IN INDIA
MISSIONARY PROBLEMS IN INDIA. [EDITORIAL.-J. M. s.] IN the Andover Review for September, the Rev. Edward A. Lawrence gives an elaborate and valuable article on this subject, the gist of which we condense and reproduce, for the benefit of our readers. Written by one on the ground, and in an intelligent, and impartial spirit, his views and statements are entitled to respectful consideration. The "Problems" he considers have a world-wide interest and application, and to solve them for India, is, in effect, to solve them for the whole missionary world.
The Problems here discussed are I. Mission Oo-operation; II. What shall be the Treatment of Oonverted Polygamists? III. Who shall be Employed as Teachers in Mission Schools? IV. Instantaneous Baptism.
I.-MISSION CO-OPERATION. The organized union of different mission societies, which happily exists in Japan, and in Amoy, China, has not yet extended to India. Still there is no division or bitterness of feeling. In the main, the field of the several societies is well defined and generally respected. 'fhe Irish Presbyterians occupy Rajputana, the American Methodists, Oudh and Rohilcund; the American Presbyterians labor in the Punjab side by side, and on friendly terms with the Church Missionary Society; while the American United Presbyterians, alike in Egypt and the Punjab north of the Lahore, are fortunate in being almost without competitors. In the south, the Lutheran Missionary Society in Trevancore, and the Church Missionary Society in Tinnevelly, amiably divide the end of the Oape. The bounds of the Madura Mission of the American Board have been settled by agreement with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, dividing the field between them. In Madras, Oalcutta, and Bombay, and in a few other places, there are Monthly Mission Oonfederacies, where members of most of the missions gather for paternal intercourse and discussion. While the general Mission Conferences, like that of the Punjab, or of the whole country, held decennially-the last at Calcutta, 1883-have gone far to prove to the heathen world that Protestants are really united in spirit and aim.
The Presbyterian family take the lead in the movement for organic union. For years past, the Dutch Reformed, the American, Scotch and Irish Presbyterians, have met in a general alliance, seeking to accomplish in India what has been done in Japan. At their last meeting in Bombay, committees were appointed to press forward the work of union, and it was decided to establish a periodical for that purpose.
The evils of sectarianism are nowhere so serious as in great heathen cities, where missions compete, and sometimes conflict, one with another. The natives fancy the divisions greater than they are, and the converts sigh for a national church, and complain of the burdens imposed by reason of differences.
The City Evangelization problem, which astounds and confounds the Church at home, is pressing heavily on the Church in heathen cities. Says Mr. Lawrence: "It is difficult and painful to express my disappointment with most features of mission operations in the Presidency cities of India. The educational work, indeed, is excellent; in some cases, unequalled. The Christian College in Madras, at the head of which is Dr. Miller of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, may well rank as the best institution of learning in India. But other forms of work languish. Not only that: in many cases the fat school-kine have swallowed up the lean evangelistic kine, and there is an actual famine of God's preached Word for the heathen. One great reason for this neglect of important branches of work, one explanation of the weakness or restlessness of the native churches in these cities, and of the fact that in the three where so many societies concentrate there is but one native church which is strictly self-supporting-the Congregational Church in Bombay-is to be found in the rivalries and confusions of sectarianism.
In Calcutta, matters are still worse. The Bengali Christians have able and fluent leaders among them, some of whom show their sincerity by great labors and self-denial. Several are successful lawyers or government officials, who devote their spare time to gospel work, or even take charge of some church. One of these laymen has just been ordained to the preaching office by the Presbytery of the Scotch Free Church Mission."
But the question of lay baptism is exciting earnest attention. A test case has been brought for trial before the Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland, but not yet decided. Even such men as Ram Chandra Bose, well known in this country, favor lay administration of the sacraments.
"It is plain that some change in these city missions is needed before these great centres will become centres of Christianity. It is equally plain that we cannot expect to stereotype and perpetuate in the Eastern church the divisions which mark the Western church. The selfish desire of any mission board to keep its work intact and not to be swallowed up in a great union movement should be rebuked by Christians of every denomination, and the dangers of disorder and license should be checked by earnest sympathy with the aspirations of the native Christians on one side, and by earnest co-operation between all mission bodies on the other."
II.-THE TREATMENT OF CONVERTED POLYGAMISTS.
To us in the home field, this question seems very simple, but in India, and on other mission fields, it is a complicated and knotty problem.
"The opinion of missionaries on this subject is much divided, and the matter has been discussed at various conferences. An excellent statement of both sides of the question is made in the 'Indian Evangelical Review' of April, 1886, by Rev. J. J. Lucas, who has taken pains to inform himself of the opinions of many leading missionaries. My own impression, formed from conversation with a large number is, that a majority of the missionaries in India, especially of those longest in the field, would decline to advise a man to dismiss one of two wives, and that many of them would baptize him, in that state, while protesting against polygamy as unchristian. The Madura Mission not long ago decided to baptize converted polygamists who had acted in ignorance of Christian ideas, in cases where there was no way of separation without injustice. Of this decision the American Board has expressed its disapproval. But Mr. Jones, of that mission, avows the belief that the policy of refusing baptism to such candidates must in time be reversed."
To over sixty representatives of different missions, Mr. Lucas sent the following question: "Would you, under any circumstances, baptize a convert with more than one wife, allowing him to retain his wives ?" And an affirmative answer was received from the great majority.
Yet, Mr. Lucas himself opposes baptism in such a case, because of the apparent sanction given to polygamy, the temptation laid in the way of inquirers, the formation of two classes of Christians within the church, and the injury done to the church itself. Yet he would not ask the husband to put away either wife, but he would say, "Wait. Your first outward step towards Christ must not be marred by a cruel wrong and flagrant injustice. Wait, holding fast your faith, and time will bring a change." And still he admits that the majority of missionaries, if left free to act, would go further than this, though leaving much to be determined by the circumstances of each case. Mr. Lawrence was assured by old missionaries, that their opinions in this regard had been changed by long experience on the field.
III.-WHO SHALL BE EMPLOYED AS TEACHERS IN MISSION SCHOOLS.
Great trouble and perplexity are experienced in this matter. Hindus are hostile to the work of missions, actively so less perhaps than formerly, but have still to be carefully watched. Mr. Lawrence relates his experience in addressing a school of boys and girls in Bombay. He was obliged to use a Hindu teacher as interpreter. He spoke of the evils of idolatry, of the position of women, and of what each member of the school should do in opposing these evils. To his surprise he afterward found that the interpreter had added his own comments: to his words about idolatry he had added the remark that these were the sentiments of the speaker, not his own. The teacher had to interpose and say emphatically that they were the sentiments of the mission, and should be those of the scholars.
"It is supposed that a Hindu or a Mohammedan, secretly, perhaps, inclined to Christianity, will not do much harm while teaching mathematics or the languages from text-books chosen by the mission. It frequently happens, indeed, that the heathen teacher is himself converted while connected with the school. A Mohammedan boy in a school in Bombay came recently under the favorable notice of a government inspector, who, in commending him, expressed his purpose to find a place for him to teach. The boy left the school and was not seen there again. On being questioned as to the cause of his leaving, he said that he was afraid he should be made a teacher, and if he became a teacher, that meant becoming a Christian. But it is gratifying to find that the number of Christian teachers is constantly increasing, while that of non-Christian is constantly decreasing. In 1871, of 4,201 native male teachers in the mission schools, 2,206 were Hindus or Mohammedans. In 1887, of 5,943, but 2,462 were non-Christians. A much greater reduction may be expected during the present decade."
If only Christian teachers are employed, many schools must close, and the instruction given in others be far less efficient than now. The aim therefore is to secure at least a Christian head master or mistress, and Christians for religious instruction, while other positions are filled with Christian teachers as fast as practicable.
But for the present, Hindu teachers in part are inevitable. None desire more than the missionaries themselves to supersede them entirely, and none will so rejoice when a sufficiency of competent Christian teachers can be had. And to this end, says Mr. Lawrence: "Nothing can serve better than the Normal schools in charge of the Society for Vernacular Christian Education. In its excellent institutions which I visited in Dindigul, in South India, and in Ahmednagar, in West India, it receives to be trained as teachers Christian young men sent by any mission. And to the missions of the American Board it has furnished many of the best teachers in their employ. One of the greatest needs of India is devoted, well-trained Christian teachers, and anything which can increased their number is worthy of all the aid that can be given."
IV. INSTANTANEOUS BAPTISM.
This question has assumed prominence and importance largely by the remarkable conversions attending the preaching of Rev. Mr. Knowles, an English missionary, and his colleagues of the North India M. E. Conference, at the Hindu festivals. Mr. Knowles holds some peculiar views as to the gift of the Holy Spirit, on condition of faith, which leads him to press an immediate decision upon his hearers at these great religious gatherings of the Hindus. All who come forward and publicly declare their belief in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, he will baptize at once, taking their names and homes, and seeking to follow up the work thus begun. Hence the number of baptisms made of those who up to that hour were Hindus in full caste relations, is very large.
The same question is pressed in the Punjab, where the American United Presbyterian Mission has been very successful. Whole villages have come to Christ, and called for immediate baptism, and the United Presbyterian missionaries have granted it, with full admission to the church. The Methodists defer such admission, and the Church Missionary Society prefers, as a rule, not to grant immediate baptism.
There are serious objections against this policy. Many hearing the gospel for the first time get no just idea of its requirements. Their conversion to Christianity is liable to be so only in name and form. The danger is of getting into the mission churches a mass of Hinduism in reality, under the outward rites of Christianity, to say nothing of the scandal which their relapse into their old faith would bring upon the Christian life and faith. The evils of such a hasty admission into the church-membership without due consideration and teaching, are serious and damaging, even in Christian lands, and where public sentiment is comparatively strong and on the right side. What must they be in heathen lands, and even in India, where the church is feeble, and public sentiment for the most part hostile?
"In reply, it is urged that Christ has made distinct promises to those who are not ashamed to confess Him; that when this is done publicly, and with public explanation of the preacher, the church may claim the fulfillment of the promise. It is true, moreover, that Hindus universally attach great importance to Christian baptism, regarding it as a decisive act, which involves the breaking of caste and excommunication. If anyone goes so far as to take this step, so important in his own eyes, why should he not be baptized, followed up, instructed, and, at the proper time, received into the church? And is not this the way, after all, in which the bulk of the people of India are to be brought to Christ-not by preliminary education, which can reach but a few at a time, and may draw men away from Christ instead of towards Him, but by conversion, with instantaneous baptism to seal the act, followed by subsequent training in Christ? If the conversion of Indians occurs by masses, instead of as individuals, must it not be in some such manner, the old barriers giving way suddenly, and great bodies of the people becoming disciples of Christ while ignorant of Him except as their Saviour?"
There is great force and pertinence in these questions. Experience must, in the main, settle the matter in India, and in other mission fields. It is admitted, by the best informed, that very many of the Hindus acknowledge the truth of Christianity, and are looking for a widespread movement among their people. Immense and rapid changes are the order of Providence all over the Heathen, Pagan and Mohammedan world. It seems morally certain that only by some grand mass rising can India ever be brought to Christ. "For, of the majority of Hindus, even more than of other peoples, it is true that, like Wadsworth's clouds, 'they must move all together, if they move at all.' "
We have thus condensed and given the substance of this valuable article, largely in the words of its author. In reviewing it we are impressed with the fact that the Problems which press on the mission church in India, press also, with more or less modification, on the Christian church of America, and of other Christian lands. It is our firm conviction that the great lesson of the day of Pentecost has yet to be learned by the modern Church of Christ. While that glorious manifestation of Divine power was largely supernatural, yet there was a general expectation on the part of the mass of disciples-there was united, continuous, and importunate prayer on the part of the infant church, and a believing waiting for the fulfillment of the Master's promise given on the eve of his departure. Hence it was no surprise. They were "endued with power from on high" in answer to prayer, and thereby fitted for the emergency and the work it laid upon them. And they did not hesitate, in reliance on Christ's promise, to baptize on the same day the thousands of professed converts, though among them were some of the very murderers of our Lord.
And what did the disciples do when driven from Jerusalem and scattered abroad, but go straight into the great cities of the Roman world—into the very centres of idolatry, and heathen superstition, and philosophy, and corruption, and wickedness-and boldly plant in the midst of them the banner of the cross, and preach "Jesus and the Resurrection," to Gentile and Jew, to philosophers and peasants, to the high and the low, and straightway gather converts into Christian churches, and push on from city to city, and from province to province, till they entered Rome itself, and even invaded "Cæsar's household." Their simple reliance was "the gospel of the grace of God," which they carried in their hearts, and preached in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power, confident that Christ would verify his ascension promise, and that the Cross in the hands of the Eternal Spirit was, of itself, without circumlocution, or previous training, or litany, or visible machinery, able to convert the soul to Jesus Christ. It was the policy of faith-the policy of simple trust in God and the power of the gospel-and it wrought wonders. It went everywhere, "conquering and to conquer." And the nearer the church of our day, both at home and in the missionary work abroad, approaches this apostolic method, the more will God honor and bless her instrumentality. In no other way-on no other principle-can the mountains of unbelief and difficulty be removed; the infinite masses of vice, ignorance, irreligion, and
BIOGRAPHY OF MOFFAT
indifference, which now lie and fester in the great cities of the world, be reached and penetrated by the light and influence of the gospel, and the world of guilt, ungodliness, hostility, infidelity and agnostic materialism, be shaken, upheaved, cleaved assunder, and the Son of Righteousness find entrance. If this world shall ever be won to Christ, it will be by Pentecostal seasons of power and ingathering; by tidal waves of grace that shall sweep the earth from pole to pole, by sudden simultaneous movements and forces in the moral and spiritual world, that shall be irresistible and general in their majestic sweep, challenging the faith of the Church, overawing a guilty world, and "converting a nation in a day," in fulfillment of prophetic promise.
BIOGRAPHY OF MOFFAT.
The Lives of Robert and Mary Moffat, by their son, John S. Moffat. With Portraits and Illustrations. New edition with Preface and Supplementary Chapter. New York: A. C. Armstrong & Son. 8 vo, pp. 484.
[EDITORIAL.-J. M. S.] THE name of Robert Moffat has been dear to us ever since we read his thrilling "Southern Africa," more than forty years ago. The leading facts of his life have long been familiar to missionary readers; but in this Life we have the outlines fitly filled up by the hand of filial love. The picture, as now completed, only enhances our estimate of the man and of the importance and enduring value of his work.
Dr. Wm. M. Taylor, in his brief Preface to this new edition, which has just issued from the press of the Armstrongs, well says: "The name of Robert Moffat deserves a high place on the honor roll of modern missionaries. It is not so well known, indeed, as that of his son-in-law, David Livingstone, but it may well be held in reputation as that of the pioneer, without whose labors those of Livingstone and others would have been far otherwise than they were. When he went to South Africa in 1817, he found tribes of idolaters and savages, constantly at war with each other and with the white men, utterly ignorant and degraded. When he left it in 1870, churches had been called into existence, a permanent body of native pastors had been reared from among the Bechwanas, and the whole region had become largely civilized and Christianized."
On the day after his funeral, which occurred in August, 1883, the following leader appeared in the London Times, which is so remarkable, coming from such a source, that we venture to reproduce the substance of it. It is not always that the secular press bestows such just, discriminating, and lofty praise on our heroic missionaries and their achievements.
"Dr. Robert Moffat, who was yesterday laid in the grave, has left an abiding name as a pioneer of modern missionary work in South Africa. He was born in 1795, a year memorable as that of the foundation of the London Missionary Society, and in 1816 he entered on his career as one of the Society's missionaries. His first purpose was to proceed to the South Seas, but his final choice was the vast and yet unexplored field of the central region of South Africa. His chief work was among the Bechwanas. His picture of what they were when he first knew them would hardly now be recognized, so entirely have they changed under the new influences which Moffat was among the first to bring to bear on them. He found them mere savages, idol-worshipers, constantly at war among themselves and with their neighbors, ignorant of the arts of agriculture, and in the utterly degraded state for which we must seek a counterpart now in the more distant tribes whom the message of civilization has not yet reached. It was Moffat's mission to civilize as well as instruct, to free those with whom he was brought in contact from the curse under which they seemed to lie, to raise them to a higher life, and so to fit them to become recipients of the sacred message of good tidings which it was his main ultimate purpose to announce. His success within the limited field to which he confined himself-a field which has been now far overpassed by the subsequent labors of other devoted men, most notably by those of his own son-in-law, David Livingstone—was very marked. His first care was to make himself thoroughly master of the language of those to whom he was sent. For fifty years, he has declared, he had been accustomed to speak the Bechwana tongue; he reduced it to written characters, and, as an agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, translated the Scriptures into it. The Bechwanas, under Moffat's guidance, became new men. Mission work grew and spread among them; what Moffat had begun to do was taken up by other hands; a permanent body of native pastors was created from among the Bechwanas themselves, and the whole region was raised out of the savage state in which Moffat had found it, and became in no small degree civilized as well as Christianized. To effect this, and to make it possible for others to effect it, was the chief business of Moffat's working life. He went out to South Africa in 1816. He left it finally in 1870. During that long interval the dark continent was attacked and explored in all directions. Scientific travelers and missionary travelers were busy pushing their way into regions to which Moffat never penetrated. It is Moffat's honor to have been the first in the field, to have laid, as it were, the stepping-stones by which his successors have been able to outstrip him; to have borne the burden and heat of the day in early missionary work, and at once to have given an example of devotion to his noble cause and to have furnished proof that the ground was not barren, and that even in South Africa the good seed might be trusted to spring up and to bring forth abundant fruit.
"It is the fashion in some quarters to scoff at missionaries, to receive their reports with incredulity, to look at them at best as no more than harmless enthusiasts, proper subjects for pity, if not for ridicule. The records of missionary work in South Africa must be a blank page to those by whom such ideas are entertained. We owe it to our missionaries that the whole region has been opened up. Apart from their special service as preachers, they have done important work as pioneers of civilization, as geographers, as contributors to philological research. Of those who have taken part in this, Moffat's name is not the best known. Moffat, it may be said, has labored, and other men have entered into his labor. Livingstone has come after him, and has gone beyond him, and has linked his memory for ever with the records of the South African Church. Speke and Stanley have become household names where Moffat has been unknown or has been forgotten. In his own simple words, it never occurred to him, while working among the Bechwanas, that he should obtain the applause of men. His one care was for those among whom he had cast his lot. He was an enthusiast, of course-a man would be worth little for missionary enterprise if he were not this at all events. But he was an enthusiast with a clear sense of the right means to employ for the accomplishment of his unselfish task. He had a message to deliver of love and of peace, and he must prepare men to receive it by instructing them in the arts of peace. The progress of South Africa has been mainly due to men of Moffat's stamp. In him, as in David Livingstone, it is hard to say which character has predominated, that of the missionary proper, or that of the teacher and guide. Certain it is that apart from the special stimulus they felt as proclaimers of the gospel message, they would never have thrown themselves as they did into the work to which their lives were consecrated. It was by no zeal for the spread of civilization on its own account that they passed weary years laboring and teaching among savage tribes, amid dangers of every kind, amid privations of which they themselves made light, but which only a sense of their high spiritual mission could have prompted them to face and undergo. One part of Moffat's work has been to prepare the way for others. He has given, so far, what promises to be a lasting stimulus. It is another question whether his own work will endure. . . . It is the missionary alone who seeks nothing for himself. He has chosen an unselfish life. If honor comes to him, it is by no choice of his own, but as the unsought tribute which others, as it were, force upon him. Robert Moffat has died in the fullness both of years and of honors. His work has been to lay the foundation of the Church in the central regions of South Africa. As far as his influence and that of his coadjutors and successors has extended, it has brought with it unmixed good. His name will be remembered while the South African Church endures, and his example will remain with us as a stimulus to others and as an abiding proof of what a Christian missionary can be and can do."
How this life work was performed; what a world of difficulty and opposition he encountered; with what tireless and persistent energy he wrought for more than half a century; amid what perils, hardships, discouragements and heroic endurances he stood at his post, this intensely interesting volume sets forth, modestly and lovingly, in fuller detail. Mrs. Moffat shared in her husband's work, and spirit, and missionary career. "Both," says Dr. Taylor, "were of such stuff as heroes are made of, and their names are worthy of a place in the peerage of faith, beside those which the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews has ennobled by his praise."
Robert Moffat was the child of poor, hard-working, and pious parents in Scotland, to whom he owed much of his shrewd sense, industry, frugality and ability to turn his hands to anything. He learned to be a gardener, but at 16 left home for a situation in Cheshire, where he speedily attracted the notice and sympathy of his employers. He was soon after converted and joined the Wesleyan Methodists, and quickly thereafter resolved to be a missionary. But parents, employers, and others, tried to dissuade him from his purpose. But he persevered at the cost of his place, but soon found employment with a Mr. Smith, a Scotchman of Covenanting descent, who entered heartily into young Moffat's plans. So likewise did their daughter Mary, some months Moffat's senior. She had been carefully and religiously brought up and schooled at the Moravian Seminary at Fairfield, whose traditions are so full of missionary romance. Here she spent some happy years, and had engaged in home-mission work. She was strongly drawn to Moffat, as he to her; and both earnestly devoted themselves to work among the heathen. This union of heart and work at home was subsequently renewed in Africa, where, for a long and eventful period they worked together as husband and wife.
As the biographer says, Moffat did not become a great missionary by virtue of his collegiate opportunities. He valued learning highly, but he had no chance to become a great scholar. But he had a knack of seizing what was essential to him, and a gift for forgetting what was useless or secondary. His studies, in face of the greatest difficulties, completed, he was accepted by the London Missionary Society, and would have been designated for the South Pacific with the venerated Williams, had it not been for his youth-he was only twenty years of age. Says the biographer: "During the discussions in the Missionary Committee as to how the present band of men was to be distributed, it had been first proposed that Williams and Moffat should both go to Polynesia; but this was overruled at the suggestion of Dr. Waugh, who deemed that 'thae twa lads were ower young to gang thegither;' so they were separated. On these small links hang our lives."
Moffat was not long in South Africa before he gave proof that years are not the only gauge of wisdom and self-reliance and tact in management. His first difficulty arose from the caprice of the Governor, who refused, on account of disturbances, to allow the party to proceed beyond the limits of Cape Colony. Moffat at once set himself to learning Dutch, that he might the more efficiently do his work when he did reach Namaqualand. At last the Governor gave his consent; and for more than a year in Namaqualand, and for more than five-and-forty in Bechwanaland, his life was one ceaseless labor and difficulty and danger, fearlessly faced. He was builder, blacksmith, carpenter, thatcher, ditcher-for he dug canal after canal to bring water to his garden and field-gardener and dairyman by turns-and everything to which he set his hand he did well-even down to darning and sewing, which he was thankful that his mother had taught him how to do.
His life at the Oape, and in Namaqualand, however, was but a preparation; his real work began at Kuruman, where he was assisted by his wife (Miss Mary Smith having joined him at Cape Colony, where they were married), whose noble character and remarkable gifts are brought out in the volume by means of her letters. She was helper, inspirer, and a strong supporter.
Soon after their settlement at Kuruman, Mrs. Moffat writes to her parents: " At present Moffat is applying himself with all diligence to the language, as the particular object of his destination here. He finds immense difficulties from the barrenness of the language and imperfect interpreters, but he is naturally too persevering soon to lose courage. This is his sole motive for undertaking a journey at present, in order to become familiar with it by being for a time out of the habit of speaking Dutch with our own people here.
I think it will also be of advantage to me in that respect; having so much to employ my time with at home I have little chance of learning much of it. You beg of us to pay particular attention to the instruction of the rising generation, but alas, we have no opportunities of doing this: the people instead of desiring that their children should be instructed, are afraid of their becoming 'Dutchmen,' so tenacious are they of their old customs and habits, and if a boy and a girl venture to come they are soon laughed out of it. Perhaps if we gave them a meal of meat every day or a few beads, we might have the place crowded-but on no other condition. Oh! how we were affected on reading an account of Madagascar, when we thought of the difference between that people and this; they so desirous and these such despisers of instruction. As to some of these people having correct notions of God and of heaven, death and hell, as has been asserted, you must not believe it; for daily conversations convince us that the wisest of them have most corrupt notions on these subjects. We are astonished at their dreadful stupidity about these things. My beloved parents, we have much need of your sympathy and prayers, and those of all other Christians. Could we but see the smallest fruit we could rejoice amidst the privations and toil which we bear; but as it is, our hands do often hang down."
Their faith was put to a very severe test. They toiled for years without any visible fruit. But though disappointed, neither were disheartened.
" 'Mary,' he said one day to his wife, 'this is hard work.' 'It is hard work, my love,' she replied; 'but take courage, our lives shall be given us for a prey!' 'But think, my dear,' he replied, 'how long we have been preaching to this people, and no fruits yet appear.' Mrs. Moffat rejoined in this manner: 'The gospel has not yet been preached to them in their own tongue wherein they were born. They have heard it only through interpreters, and interpreters who have themselves no just understanding, no real love of the truth. We must not expect the blessing till you be able from your own lips and in their own language to bring it through their ears into their hearts.' 'From that hour,' said Mr. Moffat, in relating the conversation, 'I gave myself with untiring diligence to the acquisition of the language.'''
At the close of the year 1822 Moffat wrote his brother: "I shall now give some particulars of our present situation. The most important is the cause of Christ. Alas! we still hang our harp on the willows, and mourn over the destiny of thousands hastening with heedless but impetuous strides to the regions of woe. They turn a deaf ear to the voice of love, and treat with scorn the glorious doctrines of redemption. This often causes our hearts to languish, while our eyes fail with looking upward.
"It is, however, pleasing to reflect that affairs in general wear a more hopeful aspect than when we came here. Several instances have proved the people determined to relinquish the barbarous system of commandoes for stealing cattle. They have also dispensed with a rainmaker this season. We rejoice in this, because his services and presence must ever form a strong barrier to the spread of the gospel. "We prayed and hoped that a good season would thoroughly convince them that the power of giving rain belonged only to God, but He whose footsteps are in the sea has been pleased to order it otherwise. The season has been so dry as to destroy their corn, except a little which happened to be sown on ground a little marshy. Nothing, however, has been said as to the cause of the drought. We continue on friendly terms with them, though we have also much to suffer, especially from thieves, who pester us on all sides."
God chose his own methods of bringing his servant into favor with this people and giving him a powerful influence in their affairs. The Niantatees, a terrible horde of marauders, came pouring down upon the western Bechwanas, who, if driven back, would have no option but to perish in the foodless and waterless wastes of the Kalahari. The people were panic-stricken. The dreaded enemy drew nearer every day. And still nothing definite was known of their purpose or strength. Moffat, choosing a few companions, plunged into the wilderness, and after perils innumerable (seeing nine lions in one day) accomplished his purpose and hastened back and warned the people, and roused them to action, and gave such advice, and exercised such strategy and commanding ability as resulted in saving the people from destruction. His forethought, coolness, courage, and sagacity excited the admiration even of these savages, and led the grateful people almost to worship him.
From this time on the mission brightened and the influence of the Moffats widened and deepened. Mrs. Moffat writes home to her father about this time: "To hear of the steady and growing piety of these sable children of Adam, together with the increase of Divine knowledge in the minds of others, must be reviving to the hearts of all who love the cause, but especially to such as are so nearly connected with this mission as yourself. Our gracious God has been very condescending to spare the lives of His unworthy servants to witness some fruits of missionary labor-a felicity we frequently despaired of enjoying in this lower world, where crosses and disappointments seemed to form so large a proportion in our cup. We now often wish you could be with us, to witness for yourself what we see. . . . The converts are going on well, and though the general commotion in the minds of the people has in a great measure subsided, we have solid reason to believe that there are many persons who are the subjects of an abiding conviction of their position as sinners before God, and are in the constant and diligent use of the means of grace, which we doubt not will be effectual through the Spirit in leading them to the Saviour of sinners. The Spirit of God has commenced His operations, and surely He will go on."
We have not space to follow Moffat through the long and fruitful years of his toil and sacrifice among this people, nor to describe his manifold labors in the wide field of Southern Africa exploration, civilization and Christianization; nor his intercourse with and influence on the career of David Livingstone, who married his daughter Mary; nor yet his great work in the matter of Bible translation and the circulation of the Scriptures as agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, laying the foundation of a Bechwana literature; nor his visit to England in 1838, and the wonderful interest he awakened in his native land; nor of his return to Africa and subsequent career there, till in a ripe old age, he returned to his native shores in 1870, and until the day of his death, worked on unceasingly in behalf of the cause to which his life had been devoted.
A single parting glimpse we give the reader.
"On Sunday, the twentieth of March, 1870, Robert Moffat preached for the last time in the Kuruman church. In all that great congregation there were few of his own contemporaries. The older people were for the most part children at the time when they had first seen the missionaries. With a pathetic grace peculiarly his own, he pleaded with those who still remained unbelieving amid the gospel privileges they had now enjoyed so many years. With a fatherly benediction he commended to the grace of God those who had been to him a joy and crown. It was an impressive close to an impressive career. Many years must pass before that service can be forgotten in Bechwanaland."
We note a single trait of Moffat's character. He was not a man of one idea; was not wedded to a system or preconceived methods, but studied to adapt himself to the existing condition of things. While he insisted that no civilizing processes were of any effect without conversion, he despised no means of gaining influence in order to lead the heathen to better modes of living, to improved methods of agricul- ture, and to thrift and settled habits.
" He was first a missionary; but he was also a great' captain of industry,' a man who, if he had devoted himself to any form of worldly enterprise, would probably have made a colossal fortune. He could govern men. He knew how to attach them to him, and could gauge their capacity with the eye of a master. He could direct each to the exact task suited to him, and, what is more, keep him heartily at it. Impulse and will went together, and he seldom missed his aim. A mere stripling of twenty-one, he tamed the redoubtable Africaner, and made him a humble follower and helper; he subdued Moselikatze, the warlike Matebele, and made him feel that the missionary was essential to him. His simple manhood and fearlessness, with great natural tact and independence, enabled him always to appeal to that side of their nature which was most open to him. And he could wait. It has been well said that the courage necessary to face indefinite perils, such as those to which Moffat was constantly exposed-especially in the first portion of his career-is greater than that which supports the soldier in the midst of excitement of battle. What a probation was that of the long years in the dry and waterless Kuruman, without the token of a single impression being made on any human creature! Shamelessly the people stole; neither grain could grow to ripeness, nor cattle or sheep be left in the fold, or a tool allowed to lie where a bit of work was being done, or a canal made, without the risk of the water being diverted before it reached the mission station. Many a time on returning from their out-door labors, or from a service, they found a stone in the pot instead of the meat they had left to cook. But all undismayed, Robert Moffat and his heroic wife toiled on, assured that their reward would come."* And come it did. He lived to see great changes wrought in South Africa and to lay the foundations of the South African Church with his own hands. The progress of South Africa has been mainly due to Moffat and men of his stamp. In him, as in Livingstone, it is hard to say which character has predominated, that of the missionary proper, or that of the teacher and guide. His mission largely was to prepare the way for others. He has given a great and apparently lasting stimulus, and laid Africa and the whole missionary world under great obligations.
On one point we think Mr. Moffat's testimony bearing on the policy of missions is entitled to serious consideration. We quote from an admirable paper in the Leisure Hour for November, 1883: "Much might be added in illustration of Dr. Moffat's extreme versatilIty in acquiring every industry or art which the exigencies of the place might demand of him. His treatment of the bodily ailments of the natives who came to him was almost prophetic of the medical missionaries, of whom so much has happily been heard in later days. Enough, perhaps, has been said to indicate the manifold resource and adaptiveness which helped to establish the memorable mission to Bechwanaland.
" The question of the bearing of civilization in such circumstances upon the work of evangelization is a weighty one, and the testimony of such a veteran missionary as Dr. Moffat would not fail to be of the greatest value. It is one, also, on which he has spoken with no uncertain sound, for the facts were pressed upon him at an early period of his work among the Becnwanas. After twenty-six years of missionary work he writes: 'Much has been. said about civilizing savages before attempting to evangelize them. This is a theory which has obtained an extensive prevalence among the wise men of this world, but we have never yet seen a practical demonstration of its truth. We, ourselves, are convinced that evangelization must precede civilization. It is very easy in a country of high refinement to speculate on what might be done among rude and savage men, but the Christian missionary, the only experimentalist, has invariably found that to make the fruit good the tree must first be made good. Nothing less than the power of Divine grace can reform the hearts of savages, after which the mind is susceptible of those instructions which teach them to adol'n the gospel they profess."–Leisure Hour.
"One of the great attractions of this biography is, that it faithfully presents Mrs. Moffat alongside her husband-a heroine in every sense of the word. There was no work in which she did not share-no enterprise or adventure however perilous-in which she did not take her part. For years she made it her work to accompany him in the wagon, when he meant to be absent for more than a couple of days, for the double purpose of insuring that he should have ordinary comforts (which in bachelorhood in Namaqualand he had been apt to overlook), and that she should learn what she could of everything. Moffat had laid it down as the result of his three-year-long single-life experience that, 'A missionary without a wife in South Africa was like a boat with only one oar. A good missionary's wife can be as useful as her husband in the Lord's vineyard.' She over and over again undertook journeys to the Cape without Moffat (whom she would not permit, for her sake, to leave his work for a moment), and with faithful Bechwanas and Hottentots only for attendants, who never failed her. She combined missionary help with attention to family matters, and conveyed back printing materials or other goods, which were needed and waited for. Once, when she was ordered to the coast for her health, she persisted in going alone.
Unfortunately this time they found the Orange River in flood, and could not get across. For a whole month in ill-health she had to wait on the bank in the hot weather. But she never got disconsolate or even depressed, and her power of taking the best and most hopeful view of things amounted almost to an art. This is how she tells of her suffering: " 'I was in company with Mr. Hume, who rendered me every possible assistance, but my health being in such a delicate state, I could not but suffer much from the extreme heat and exposed situation, and was severely tried. Frequently were we tantalized with the prospect of being able to ride through "to-morrow," but as sure as to-morrow came the river rose again, till all hope was gone, and we came at last to the conclusion to cross on a raft. . . . There were eighteen wagons altogether, and with hard labor we got everything over that dreadful river in less than three days without a single accident. How much have we to be thankful for! And it was gratifying to find that, for all I had endured, I was no worse, but rather better. Perhaps being obliged to take it easily was in my favor.'
"This so entirely expresses the character of the woman as she appears to us throughout these pages-patient, courageous, equal to any emergency, gifted with power of command such as few men have, and yet tender and true to every claim of womanhood-that we can only praise her sufficiently by saying that she rose to the same heights of unconscious heroism as her husband. To read of her must prove an inspiration in many a home."*
THE CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS
THE CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS. SIR MONIER-WILLIAMS, Professor of Sanskrit in Oxford University, is universally recognized as an authority in all questions relating to the literature and faiths of the Orient. At the late anniversary of the Church Misssionary Society in London, he delivered an address which is so remarkable, that notwithstanding its appearance in other forms, we desire to give extracts from it a permanent place in this REVIEW. He says: "An old friend, a valued missionary of this society, founder of the James Long Lectures on the Non-Christian Religions, said to me a few days before his death: 'You are to speak at the anniversary of the Church Missionary Society; urge upon our missionaries the importance of studying the non- Christian religious systems.' Unusual facilities for this study are now at our disposal; for in this Jubilee year of the Queen, the University of Oxford has completed the publication of about thirty stately volumes of the socalled Sacred Books of the East, comprising the Veda, the Zend-Avesta of the Zoroastrians, the Confucian Texts, the Buddhist Tripitaka, and the Muhammadan Kuran-all translated by well-known translators. Our mIssionaries are already convinced of the necessity of studying these works, and of making themselves conversant with the false creeds they have to fight. How could an army of invaders have any chance of success in an enemy's country without a knowledge of the position and strength of its fortress, and without knowing how to turn the batteries they may capture against the foe? Instead of dwelling on so manifest a duty, I venture a few words of warning as to the subtle danger that lurks beneath the duty.
"In my youth I had been accustomed to hear all non-Christian religions described as 'inventions of the devil.' And when I began investigating Hinduism and Buddhism, some well-meaning Christian friends expressed their surprise that I should waste my time by grubbing in the dirty gutters of heathendom. After a little examination, I found many beautiful gems glittering there; nay, I met with bright coruscations of true light flashing here and there amid the surrounding darkness. Now, fairness in fightmg one's opponents is ingrained in every Englishman'S nature, and, as I prosecuted my researches into these non-Christian systems, I began to foster a fancy that they had been unjustly treated. I began to observe and trace out curious coincidences and comparisons with our own Sacred Book of the East. I began, in short, to be a believer in what is called the evolution and growth of religious thought. 'These imperfect systems,' I said to myself, 'are clearly steps in the development of man's religious instincts and aspirations-interesting efforts of the human mind struggling upwards towards Christianity. Nay, it is probable that they were all intended to lead up to the one true religion, and that Christianity is, after all, merely the climax, the complement, the fulfillment of them all.'
"Now there is unquestionably a delightful fascination about such a theory, and, what is more, there are really elements of truth in it. But I am glad of the opportunity of stating publicly that I am persuaded I was misled by its attractiveness, and that its main idea is quite erroneous. The charm and danger of it, I think, lie in its apparent liberality, breadth of view, and toleration. In The Times of last October 14, you will find recorded a remarkable conversation between a Lama priest and a Christian traveler, in the course of which the Lama says that 'Christians describe their religion as the best of all religions; whereas, among the nine rules of conduct for the Buddhist, there is one that directs him never either to think or to say that his own religion is the best, considering that sincere men of other religions are deeply attached to them.' Now to express sympathy with this kind of liberality is sure to win applause among a certain class of thinkers in these days of universal toleration and religious free trade. We must not forget, too, that our Bible tells us that God has not left himself without witness, and that in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. Yet I contend, notwithstanding, that flabby, jelly-fish kind of tolerance is utterly incompatible with the nerve, fibre, and backbone that ought to characterize a manly Christian. A Christian's character ought to be exactly what the Christian's Bible intends it to be. Take that Sacred Book of ours; handle reverently the whole volume; search it through and through, from the first chapter to the last, and mark well the spirit that pervades the whole. You will find no limpness, no flabbiness about its utterances. Even skeptics who dispute Its divinity are ready to admit that it is a thoroughly manly book. Vigor and manhood breathe in every page. It is downward and straightforward, bold and fearless, rigid and uncompromising. It tells you and me to be either hot or cold. If God be god, serve him. If Baal be God, serve him. We cannot serve both. We cannot love both. Only one name is given among men whereby we may be saved. No other name, no other Saviour, more suited to India, to Persia, to China, to Arabia, is ever mentioned-is ever hinted at.
"What! says the enthusiastic student of the science of religion, do you seriously mean to sweep away as so much worthless waste paper all these thirty stately volumes of Sacred Books of the East just published by the University of Oxford? "No-not at all-nothing of the kind. On the contrary, we welcome these books. We ask every missionary to study their contents and thankfully lay hold of whatsoever things are true and of good report in them. But we warn him that there can be no greater mistake than to force these non-Christian bibles into conformity with some scientific theory of development, and then point to the Christian's Holy Bible as the crowning product of religious evolution. So far from this, these non-Christian bibles are all developments in the wrong direction. They all begin with some flashes of true light and end in utter darkness. Pile them, if you will, on the left side of your study table, but place your own Holy Bible on the right side-all by itself-aU alone-and with a wide gap between.
"And now, I crave permission at least to give two good reasons for ventur- ing to contravene, in so plain-spoken a manner, the favorite philosophy of the day. Listen to me, ye youthful students of the so-called Sacred Books of the East, search them through and through, and tell me, do they affirm of Vyasa, of Zoroaster, of Confucius, of Buddha, of Mohammed, what our Bible affirms of the Founder of Christianity-that He, a sinless Man, was made Sin! Not merely that he is the eradicator of sin, but that He, the sinless Son of man, was himself made sin. Vyasa and the other founders of Hinduism enjoined severe penances, endless lustral washings, incessant purifications, infinite repetitions of prayer, painful pilgrimages, arduous ritual, and sacrificial observances, all with the one idea of getting rid of sin. AU their books say so. But do they say that the very men who exhausted every invention for the eradication of sin were themselves sinless men made sin. Zoroaster, too, and Confucius, and Buddha, and Mohammed, one and all, bade men strain every nerve to get rid of sin, or at least of the misery of sin, but do their sacred books say that they themselves were sinless men made sin! I do not presume, as a layman, to interpret the apparently contradic. tory proposition put forth in our Bible that a sinless Man was made Sin. All I now contend for is that it stands alone; that it is wholly unparalleled; that it is not to be matched by the shade of a shadow of a similar declaration in any other book claiming to be the exponent of the doctrine of any other religion in the world.
" Once again, ye youthful students of the so-called Sacred Books of the East, search them through and through, and tell me, do they affirm of Vyasa, of Zoroaster, of Confucius, of Buddha, of Mohammed, what our Bible affirms of the Founder of Christianity-that He, a dead and buried Man, was made Life? not merely that he is the Giver of life, but that he, the dead and buried Man, is Life. 'I am the Life.' 'When Christ, who is our Life, shall appear.' 'He that hath the Son, hath Life.' Let me remind you, too, that the blood is the Life, and that our Sacred Book adds this matchless, this unparalleled, this astounding assertion: 'Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.' Again, I say, I am not now presuming to interpret so marvelous, so stupendous a statement. All I contend for is that it is absolutely unique; and I defy you to produce the shade of the shadow of a similar declaration in any other sacred book of the world. And bear in mind that these two matchless, these two unparalleled declarations, are closely, are intimately, are indissolubly connected with the great central facts and doctrines of our religion: the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the ascension of Christ. Vyasa, Zoroaster, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, are all dead and buried; and mark this-their flesh is dissolved; their bones have crumbled into dust; their bodies are extinct. Even their followers admit this. Christianity alone commemorates the passing into the heavens of its divine Founder, not merely in the spirit, but in the body, and 'with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature,' to be the eternal source of life and holiness to his people.
"The two unparalleled declarations quoted by me from our Holy Bible make a gulf between it and the so-called Sacred Books of the East which sever the one from the other utterly, hopelessly, and forever-not a mere rift which may be easily closed up, not a mere rift across which the Christian and the non-Christian may shake hands and interchange similar ideas in regard to essential truths, but a veritable gulf which cannot be bridged over by any science of religious thought; yes, a bridgeless chasm which no theory of evolution can ever span. Go forth, then, ye missionaries, in your Master's name; go forth into all the world, and, after studying all its false religions and philosophies, go forth and fearlessly proclaim to suffering humanity the plain, the unchangeable, the eternal facts of the gospel-nay, I might al- most say, the stubborn, the unyielding, the inexorable facts of the gospel. Dare to be downright with all the uncompromising courage of your own Bible, while with it your watchwords are love, joy, peace, reconciliation. Be fair, be charitable, be Christ-like, but let there be no mistake. Let it be made absolutely clear that Christianity can not, must not, be watered down to suit the palate of either Hindu, Parsee, Confucianist, Buddhist, or Mo. hammedan, and that whosoever wishes to pass from the false religion to the true can never hope to do so by the rickety planks of compromise, or by help of faltering hands held out by half-hearted Christians. He must leap the gulf in faith, and the living Christ will spread his everlasting arms be- neath and land him safely on the Eternal Rock."
To this remarkable testimony, we add that of Professor Max Müller, who, in addressing the British and Foreign Bible Society, said: "In the discharge of my duties for forty years, as Professor of Sanskrit in the University of Oxford, I have devoted as much time as any man living to the study of the Sacred Books of the East, and I have found the one key-note -the one diapason, so to speak-of all these so-called sacred books, whether it be the Veda of the Brahmans, the Puranas of Siva and Vishnu, the Koran of the Mohammedans, the Zend-Avesta of the Parsees, the Tripitaka of the Buddhists-the one refrain through all-salvation by works. They all say that salvation must be purchased, must be bought with a price ; and that the sole price, the sole purchase-money, must be our own works and deservings. Our own holy Bible, our sacred Book of the East, is from beginning to end a protest against this doctrine. Good works are, indeed, enjoined upon us in that sacred Book of the East far more strongly than in any other sacred book of the East; but they are only the outcome of a grateful heart -they are only a thank-offering, the fruits of our faith. They are never the ransom-money of the true disciples of Christ. Let us not shut our eyes to what is excellent and true and of good report in these sacred books, but let us teach Hindoos, Buddhists, Mohammedans, that there is only one sacred Book of the East that can be their mainstay in that awful hour when they pass all alone into the unseen world. It is the sacred Book which contains that faithful saying, worthy to be received of all men, women and children, and not merely of us Christians-that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. [EDITORIAL.-A. T. P.] "Let the dead bury their dead! Follow thou ME.
Go thou and preach the kingdom of God." -Matt. viii: 21, 22; Luke ix: 60.
WORDS of deep meaning are those words, "life" and "death." The difference between them is the difference between holiness and sin; the distance between them is the distance between Heaven and Hell.
We are in a world of Death. It is full of the dead-those who have neither spiritual vitality nor sensibility; who lack all true spiritual life and all proper sense of the powers of the world to come.
God made man, like an ideal house, in successive stories. On the earthward side, the body, identified with matter; next above it, the intellectual, affectional and moral nature, higher up and nearer God; then above all, and crowning all, that which constituted the very "image of God," -the spiritual nature, the oratory and observatory, nearest to Heaven.
The fall of man shattered the whole house, but it left the upper story in absolute ruin. The spiritual image of God was effaced, while the whole man was defaced. That observatory that looked out upon the celestial scenery, became at best "a death chamber." The noblest, highest, divinest affections, affinities, and capacities of man were left in a state of decay; and so this world became the abode of the dead.
Yes; and the dead are burying the dead. All human history, without God, is one long burial. What is burial? It is the magnifying of the material and mortal; it is lavishing care and cost upon the body, when the invisible spirit has departed, and putting it out of sight and contact of the living. So are the ways of the world. That unseen reality and personality which we call soul, is habitually neglected, while lavish attention is given to the body; and selfishness, that it may revel in ease and indulgence, seeks to bury out of sight and touch of the living, the want and woe, sorrow and suffering of humanity.
The sayings of our Lord, which introduce these paragraphs, are far more comprehensive than may at first appear. Christ is not denying to a son the privilege of fulfilling the last sad offices of filial love to a deceased father. A soul has reached the crisis of history and destiny, and stands trembling and wavering upon the verge of a decision upon which hang eternal issues. To go just now, even to a father's funeral, with its elaborate ceremonial and tedious period of formal mourning, would prove a diversion that might prevent conversion, dissipating serious impressions and convictions. What if that son, drawn back into worldly associations, should lose all interest in things divine; and going to bury his father, should end in being buried himself ! But let us mark the grandeur of the scope of those two words of command: "Follow thou me !" "Go thou and preach the kingdom of God!"
Christ is the Lord of life. He came to give life and to give it more abundantly-not to bury but to revive; not to commit to the sepulchre but to call the dead from their tombs. "Follow thou Me !"
and so get life; then, "Go thou and preach the kingdom of God," and so give life.
We have intelligently chosen these words as the motto of this MISSIONARY REVIEW OF THE WORLD. Taking the two accounts as presenting the whole incident in its spherical completeness, we find here the entire duty of every human being, comprehensively expressed: first to be a follower of Christ, and then a preacher of Christ; receiving life from the dead, to go forth bearing the potent message of salvation, and so imparting life to the dead.
Our Lord thus sounds, in these sayings of His, the silver trumpet of evangelization, and down through the aisles of the ages, with growing clearness, rings the clarion peal. It is time that it had reached and rallied the whole church of God to the universal assembling of the Lord's hosts, and the universal onset of the army against the foe.
Evangelization is the one word that deserves to be emblazoned on the banners of the believing host. The one immediate, imperative duty of every follower is to become a "herald." To bring this gospel of life into contact with every living, human soul in the shortest possible time and the best possible way-that is evangelization.
The scheme is so grandly colossal that it fills the whole word of God, and reaches round the whole world of the dead. Like the wheel of Ezekiel's vision, it is so high that it is dreadful. Its rim rests upon the earth, but reaches to heaven.
God's gigantic plan of evangelization embraces the whole family of man. That family consists at this time of fifteen hundred millions of souls now living upon earth. More than one-half of this vast number have never yet had a copy of the Word, heard the sound of the good tidings, or even seen the face of a missionary. There are some thirty millions of evangelical Christians within the territory of a nominal Christendom; and the problem is how to bring those thirty millions into contact with the seven hundred and fifty millions who have not the gospel within the space of a generation's lifetime!
How can it be done? That is the absorbing question. We should utterly despair of doing it but for one fact: The Captain of our salvation has commanded it, and the existence of the order is the warrant for obedience, and the assurance of success. Let the whole church but take the attitude of obedience, and we should see wonders of achievement that would astonish us.
It is, nevertheless, very plain that the methods now employed by the church of God are inadequate to this great work. All Christendom sends to the foreign field to-day less than seven thousand workmen, of whom more than half are unordained laymen and women. The native Christian churches contribute some thirty-three thousand more, of whom nine-tenths are laymen. We have, therefore, a total of forty thousand Christian disciples scattered among the millions of Pagan, Papal, and Moslem communities. Were these evenly and equally distributed, it would still give every worker, male or female, native and foreign, ordained and unordained, a parish of 18,750 souls to reach with the gospel in the space of about thirty years, the lifetime of a generation.
"What are these among so many?" And with all the obstacles of foreign language and hoary superstitions to surmount before there could be even an approach or access to them. Our missionary workers-nay, even our missionary stations-are like stars set in the centres of vast vacancies. And, therefore, it is that with over 100 missionary organizations belting the globe, the unevangelized population of the world grows faster than the church; population strides more rapidly than evangelization can keep up with it; and there is to-day a larger number of unsaved souls on earth than during any previous decade of years.
Where lies the core of this difficulty? We have forsaken the standard set up for us by our Lord and adopted by the primitive church. To every human being our Lord's double message is "Follow me, and preach me." The command is representative. The only qualification necessary for preaching the kingdom is to be a subject in it; and every follower of Christ must be a fisher of men.
This is the doctrine of the New Testament, and this was the practice of the New Testament church. Our Lord laid down the law of evangelization: ALL ARE TO GO, AND TO GO TO ALL. The occasion on which, upon that Galilean mountain, He said: "Go make disciples of all nations," was, without doubt, the occasion on which he "was seen of above five hundred brethren at once," commissioning all disciples to make disciples.
And they accepted the commission. The persecution that followed Stephen's martyrdom scattered the disciples abroad, and they went everywhere, preaching the word.* Observe!-not the apostles, for they are expressly excepted, as remaining at Jerusalem. Philip, though only a deacon, not only evangelized but baptized. The careful reader of the" Acts of the Apostles" finds there the acts of a great many beside the Apostles. He finds there a vital truth of Scripture side by side with a vital fact of history. The obvious intent of our Lord was that every follower should be also a witness, warrior, worker, winner of souls. The so-called "ministry" properly exists in the interests of law and order, sound doctrine and safe polity; but does not properly exist as a clerical caste, drawing a line of division between the followers of Christ in the matter of work for souls. Neither the world nor the church can afford to confine or entrust this work of evangelization to a class. The world needs all disciples as heralds, if all men are to hear the gospel; and the church needs all her members to be workers if she is to fulfil her great commission, or even escape the dry rot of indolence and inaction. Growth there must be where life is, and action there must be where growth is. What we do not use we lose. Current alone keeps the stream from stagnating and freezing.
Go thou, whoever thou art, if thou followest the Lord, and preach the kingdom of God. This is a universal duty, an individual responsibility. It is not necessary to change our sphere, but only to pervade our sphere with a new spirit of life. "In whatsoever calling he is found, let every man therein abide with God."* Let him use the shoemaker's shop, the carpenter's bench, the merchant's desk, the artist's studio, the market stall, the senator's chair, the kitchen or nursery, the throne or palace, as the pulpit from which to preach Jesus. If, like Wesley and Whitefield, Moody and McAll, you can reach the multitudes with your voice, thank God for the privilege. But if not, perhaps, like John Pounds of Portsmouth, you can win the confidence of street gamins by a hot roast potato, or, like Maria Millis in the humble nursery, teach infant lips to pray, and sow in a child's heart the seeds of a mighty passion for souls that shall yet sway, with resistless persuasion, the Lords and Commons in Parliament! These opening words of salutation from the editors to the reader, are not the result of any sudden, transient outburst of feeling. Here are crystallized the solemn convictions reached or wrought by a quarter of a century of study and thought upon this great theme. Before the church stands a great problem, for which the Scriptures furnish the only practical, possible solution. The whole church must accept the duty of telling the old, old story. Each of us is his brother's keeper. Every hearer must become a herald. This is the theory of evangelization in a nutshell; and we have only to put this principle into practice, and the wisdom of our Lord's words will be demonstrated; we may thus bring the gospel to the ears of every living member of our ruined race before the bells of God's great clock of the ages shall ring in the natal hour of a new century.
"Go THOU, AND PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD."
A VIOLENT thunder storm once preserved the town of Basle from the shells of the Russians and Hungarians, who were besieging the place. The pious people, in gratitude, founded a training-school for Christian Missionaries. This was the origin of the Basle Missionary Society, which has sent out over five hundred devoted men to the heathen.
*1 Cor. vii.
MISSION WORK IN PAPAL EUROPE
MISSION WORK IN PAPAL EUROPE.
By WILLIAM CLARK, D.D., FLORENCE, ITALY.
[Dr. Clark has a right to speak on the subject which he here briefly intro- duces to the notice of our readers. During the past twenty-five years he has resided in Papal Europe and made its institutions, especially those of an educational character, a matter of special study. The female college which he has established at Florence is an important mission agency and deserves the sympathy and aid of American Christians, and especially of the friends of female Christian education. Previous to this-from 1850 to 1860-he was in the service of the A. B. C. F. M. in Turkey, having charge of the Bebek Theological Seminary, out of which grew Robert College.-EDs.) THE moral and spiritual transformation of Central and Southern Europe must be done for women and by women. Establishing evangeli- cal schools of higher female education is the great mission agency to be employed, and the agency the most successful of all others. It is not by any denominational propaganda arrayed against Popery, or by Protestant Mission Boards of England and the United States sending their forces into these countries with their agencies of sect. I have been intimately conversant with mission work in foreign and Papal lands for nearly forty years, and, with all my experience and observation during this long period, I am fully convinced that true and successful mission work can never be accomplished, especially in Papal Europe, by a strictly denominational agency. I speak what I know when I say that the greatest obstacle to the work of a true religious reform in Papal Europe for the last twenty-five years has been the introduction of different religious denominations, and the sectarian spirit that has characterized them. To do true Christian work in Europe, churches must leave sect at home, and carry alone the essentials of Christian salvation and Christian character.
In 1866, Hon. George P. Marsh, our honored Minister in Italy for thirty years, wrote me thus: "Garibaldi is right in saying that Italy must owe her salvation to her women. No country has produced, and none now produces, nobler women than this, and there never was a crisis when such could render greater service to the cause of humanity and truth than now." The union and independence of Italy, that have taken place since that time, have proved a powerful incentive in ennobling and quickening the life of woman. Nowhere is the regeneration of Italy more marked than in Italian female life. They now ask earnestly for a new and improved system of higher female education. They wish schools and colleges for women similar to those in America. Our system of higher female education has been made known in all these countries by the Expositions at Vienna and Paris. My classmate, Hon. John D. Philbrick of Boston, our Educational Commissioner at those expositions, made such a beautiful exhibit of our female schools and colleges as to make our system of female culture so popular that it is everywhere desired in all these countries, and desired as a system to take the place of the Convent system, with which from year to year they are more and more dissatisfied.
Establishing evangelical schools of higher female education would be setting up a great agency that would be attended with immense results, an agency having no sectarian taint to poison it, and most cordially welcomed by the people. In Italy, for instance, this agency affords us a rare opportunity of doing a most noble work for Italian young women of the higher classes, in bringing a high and ennobling religious influence, as well as a high culture among those who really have the destinies of their country in their hands.
The great obstacle to the regeneration of Italy, is woman. Educate woman, and bring her under a true religious influence, and Italy will quickly become a truly enlightened and a truly evangelized country. And this work is feasible, if means and lady teachers can be obtained among Christians of America. The present is a time so favorable for instituting a great enterprise and an undenominational mission agency, that I cannot but urge it upon the attention of Christian women in America. I have heard many Italians express deep regret that, in all Catholic Europe, there was not one superior college where they might send their daughters for a higher culture. Is not this fact a sad one, especially when we consider how much high Christian culture there is among the women of America and England? Is it true that this culture is really Christian and benevolent in its character? Why, then, are not greater efforts made to extend it among other nations? Establish, for instance, schools in Italy bearing the stamp of our culture and our religion. This would be the noblest possible way of doing mission work. It is not enough that we boast of our higher female education at home; we must consecrate it to the good of other nations.
We want $10,000 to make a college, already established in Florence, Italy, an agency of great good to all the Papal States of Europe. Similar schools we wish to establish in all the principal cities of Italy, Austria, France and Spain; and such schools will bring these countries into the kingdom of Christ. To the importance of this work we have the testimony and endorsement of the best men of all Christian nations. Lord Shaftsbury, J. B. Braithwaite of England, Sir William Muir, Prof. Calderwood of Scotland, Mark Hopkins, Dr. Roswell D. Hitchcock, Mrs. ex-President Garfield, and many others in our own land-all these speak of this agency as mission work of the highest importance.
Many years ago Mrs. Emma Willard, of Troy Female Seminary, gave $3,000 to establish a school for young women in Greece. This school, nobly sustained by Mr. and Mrs. Hill, has educated more than 20,000 Greek young women.
BRIEF NOTES ON NEW BOOKS OF A MISSIONARY CHARACTER
BRIEF NOTES ON NEW BOOKS OF A MISSIONARY CHARACTER.
James Hannington. By F. C. Dawson, M. A. A. D. F. Randolph & Co., N. Y.
This is a graphic story of the life and work of the first Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa. It has already gone through six editions in England, 'and two here. It is a thrilling narrative. There are many incidents of great interest in the volume; but the central figure is the manly, unselfish, heroic Hannington, whose martyrdom so shocked the Christian world. The reading of the book has suggested so many useful and instructive thoughts that it is the purpose of the editors to give hereafter a special article on the subject of this memoir.
The Cross and the Dragon. Rev. B. C. Henry of Canton. A. D. F. Randolph & Co.
Few books of 500 pages contain more interesting and useful matter. Mr. Henry is an acute observer. He has eyes and ears and knows how to use them: and he has the rare quality of being able, both by his tongue and pen, to reproduce in vivid, graphic style, those matters which are most apt to enchain the attention of the hearer or reader. This book will be one of the standard books on Missions.
Siam, or The Heart of Farther India. By Mary L. Cort. Published by Randolph.
This book, in size and style, corresponds to The Cross and the Dragon, and is not unlike it in value and power to interest and instruct. Few people know what a unique country and people are presented in this book, about which so little has been known until of late. The supreme king, Chulalangkorn, is a wise, intelligent, charitable monarch: like his father before him a patron of art, science and literature. In this empire all practical hindrances seem removed to missionary work. There have been no marked results which can be expressed in figures and statistics, but the gospel seems to be slowly but surely preparing for a great conquest. We advise everybody to read Miss Cort's book.
The Dragon, Image, and Demon: or, the Three Religions of China, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Iaoism, giving an account of the Mythology, Idolatry, and Demonolatry of the Chinese. By Rev. Hampden C. DuBose, fourteen years a missionary at Loochow. New York: A. C. Armstrong & Son. 12mo, pp. 468. 1887.
We give the full title of this book as explanatory of its contents. The work is profusely illustrated, and is gotten up in gorgeous yet appropriate style. Written by one who knows whereof he writes; who is familiar, from study and observation on the ground, with the system of religion and philosophy which he describes; and who has taken pains to gather information on a great variety of points little understood by the Christian world, it will prove a valuable addition to our missionary literature. The work is of interest to the general reader, as well as in all missionary circles. Even the London Saturday Review says of it: "It is a book likely to be widely read. Of the author's minute description of popular and household deities, and the mass of legend connected with them, the book and its curious illustrations can alone speak. Mr. DuBose has much to say that is fresh and suggestive, and he says it with force and conviction."
The Crisis of Missions: or, The Voice out of the Cloud. By Rev. Arthur T. Pierson, D. D. New York: Robert Carter & Brothers. 12 mo, pp. 370.
Like all their issues, the publishers have given this little book an attractive dress, befitting the character of the work. It is a marvelous book, in its power to inform, impress, and electrify the reader. The grouping of inspiring facts; the rapid action of the discussion; the intense glow of missionary feeling; and the irresistible array of motives and argume~ts and
ORGANIZED MISSIONARY WORK
Providential movements, all conspire to challenge the reader's attention, thrill his soul, and cause him to hear "the voice out of the cloud," as he never heard it before. If our beloved associate had not written the book, I should use still stronger language. I am not surprised that the reading public are showing their appreciation of it by exhausting six editions of it in one year!
Woman and the Gospel in Persia. By Rev. Thomas Laurie, D. D. Adoniram Judson. By Julia H. Johnston.
The Woman's Presbyterian Board of Missions of the Northwest, located at Chicago, is publishing a series of brief works entitled" Missionary Annals." The first in the series was a Memoir of Robert Moffat. The two, whose titles are given above, form Nos. 2 and 3. Others are in preparation. They are neatly produced, and sold at a small price, only 30 cents in cloth. .
The plan is an excellent one. Its execution will greatly widen the circle of missionary readers and create a demand for larger works. The materials for the sketch of Dr. Judson were drawn from Dr. Wayland's memoir of him, from Dr. EdwardJudson's "Life" of his father, and from "The History of Baptist Missions." "Woman and the Gospel in Persia," is an abridgment of "Woman and her Saviour in Persia," by Dr. Laurie, and was generously prepared by him and presented to the Board which publishes it.
n.-ORGANIZED MISSIONARY WORK.
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
THE seventh annual meeting of the Board was held at Springfield, Mass., Oct. 5-8, 1887. It was a remarkable assemblage, both as to number and character—one hundred and sixty-five corporate members and over 800 ministers. The discussion of two reports from the Prudential Committee was long and earnest, and resulted in an overwhelming vote sustaining the policy of the Board. Still it was not unanimous, and the outcome of the trouble it is impossible to predict.
The editor of The Independent, who was present, gives the following as the substance of the action of the Board:
"1. That the Board, acting through its Prudential Committee, will hereafter as heretofore assume and exercise the right to judge and determine upon the qualifications of all persons applying to it for appointment and support as foreign missionaries. 2. That, in the judgment of the Board, the Word of God teaches that the moral conduct of men in this life, whether living and dying in heathen or Christian lands, is determinative of their condition and destiny in the life to come, and hence that this Word excludes the hypothesis that any persons who in this life have failed to secure the great salvation through Christ will, after death, have another probation in which salvation will be offered to them, and by them may be obtained. 3. That all persons applying to the Board for appointment and support as foreign missionaries, if holding as a positive faith or a probable hypothesis the doctrine of a second probation or that of this life continued into the next life, are to be regarded as not possessing the proper qualifications for such appointment and support, since, in either case, their position is contrary to the Word of God, and is calculated in its natural effects to impair the power of that Word over human hearts."
The report of the year's missionary operations was highly encouraging, and the several papers submitted by the Secretaries, particularly "The Appeal of the Hour," by Secretary Smith, and "The Message and Messenger," by Secretary Clark, were inspiring in the highest degree. We regret that our space will allow but a bird's-eye view of the year's results.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
From churches, individual donors, and Sunday-schools, $218,427.58. From the four Woman's Boards, $148,530.82 (from Woman's Board of Missions, $89,304.60; from Woman's Board of Missions of the Interior, $55,248.12; from the Woman's Board of Missions for the Pacific, $3,678.10; from the Woman's Board of Missions for the Pacific Isles, $300); a total of donations of $366,958.40. From legacies, $98,414.59, and from the income of the permanent funds, $11,071.28; making the total receipts from these sources, $476,444.27.
From the Swett bequest, set apart to meet special calls for a brief period of years in the evangelistic and educational departments of our missionary work abroad, $154,319.96 has been appropriated for the purposes named, including, for Japan, $43,745, and for China, $34,762.83.
From the Otis bequest, set apart for new missions, $48,808.31 has been devoted to work in West Central and East Central Africa, in Shanse, in Northern Japan, and in Northern Mexico.
These amounts, added to receipts from ordinary sources, with balance in the treasury at the beginning of the year, $1,381.49, make the total $680,954.03. The expenditures of the year amounted to $679,376.90, leaving a balance in the treasury of $1,577.13.
GENERAL SUMMARY. 1886-87.
| Item |
Number |
| Number of Missions |
22 |
| Number of Stations |
89 |
| Number of Out-Stations |
891 |
| Number of Ordained Missionaries (11 being Physicians) |
168 |
| Number of Physicians not Ordained, 8 men and 4 women |
12 |
| Number of other Male Assistants |
10 |
| Number of Women (wives 164; unmarried, besides Physicians, 107) |
271 |
| Whole number of laborers sent from this country |
461 |
| Number of Native Pastors |
155 |
| Number of Native Preachers and Catechists |
393 |
| Number of Native School-teachers |
1,164 |
| Number of other Native Helpers |
325—2,037 |
| Whole number of laborers connected with the Missions |
2,498 |
| Pages printed, as nearly as can be learned |
18,650,000 |
| Number of Churches |
325 |
| Number of Church Members |
28,042 |
| Added during the year |
2,906 |
| Whole number from the first, as nearly as can be learned |
101,089 |
| Number of High Schools, Theological Seminaries, and Station Classes |
55 |
| Number of Pupils in the above |
3,623 |
| Number of Boarding Schools for Girls |
41 |
| Number of Pupils in Boarding Schools for Girls |
2,318 |
| Number of Common Schools |
878 |
| Number of Pupils in Common Schools |
34,417 |
| Whole number under instruction |
41,151 |
CONCLUSION.
Such is the brief record of that great work which the Board sustains in twenty-two missions among unevangelized people in all parts of the earth. In almost 1,000 populous centres a force of 2,500 laborers, foreign and native, is preaching the gospel in twenty-five different languages, and conducting a great evangelistic and educational work. Fifteen new churches have been organized, and out of a total membership of 28,000, nearly 3,000 have made profession of faith this year. In ninety-six high schools and colleges 6,000 picked youths of both sexes are in training to reinforce the native agency, besides 34,000 pupils under Christian instruction and influence in common schools. And above all, the Christian character of the native converts is assuming greater depth and earnestness, and their share in evangelistic work is steadily increasing in value as well as in amount.
THE FIRST MONTH.—The financial beginning of the new year is favorable, the receipts being more than double those of the first month of the preceding year; amounting to $30,668.57, of which over $22,000 is from donations.
American Baptist Union.
THIS Union represents some 600,000 or 700,000 Baptists in the Northern and Western States, and is the second oldest foreign missionary society in the country. Its 73d annual meeting was held in Minneapolis, Minn., May 27-28. We give an abstract of its annual report.
Its first field was Burmah, where it has planted a vigorous and self-supporting Christianity, which, with its admirable system of schools and its missionary spirit, is making constant inroads on heathenism. Since Upper Burmah was opened to the world by the overthrow of King Thebaw, the Union has been sending missionaries into that kingdom. It has also a strong mission in India, among the Telugus, thousands of whom were gathered in during the remarkable awakening in South India some years ago. Besides these missions the Union has others in Assam and Siam, China, Japan, Africa (in Liberia and on the Congo), and in Europe.
The European missions are in Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, and Greece, where their membership foots up more than the Asiatic and African missions. In Sweden and Germany the work may be said to have passed the missionary stage. There are regular churches, ordained ministers, and associations of churches and ministers. In Sweden alone there are 460 churches, a gain of 26 the past year, 483 preachers, and 31,064 members. In Germany there are more members (33,451), but fewer churches and ministers. The latter number 450, of whom 300 are unordained, and the churches count up to 168 only. The work of the year was very successful, if we may judge from the fact that there were 3,473 baptisms in Sweden, and 2,530 in Germany. An effort is being made to reach the Finns, of whom there are about two millions, who are said to be in a state of dense spiritual darkness. They seem anxious to know the truth and be saved. The amount of contributions in Sweden last year was $79,187.
Germany received $5,628 from the Union, raising among its own churches $98,900. The German Baptist Union, consisting of 13 associations, embraces missions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Russia, Roumania, Bulgaria, Denmark, and Africa. The mission was begun by Johan Gerhard Oncken, a German who married and settled in England and became an Independent. Traveling in Lower Saxony, as an agent of a Bible and a tract society, he organized a Baptist church in that kingdom and became its pastor. This was in 1834. Next year he was appointed missionary of what is now the American Baptist Missionary Union, and he went all over Germany and Denmark preaching and baptizing. From this beginning have sprung all the churches and missions in connection with the German Baptist Union. There is an association in Austria embracing 5 churches, 62 stations, and 930 members; one among the Poles, with 8 churches, 52 stations, and 2,624 members; two in Russia, with a total of 18 churches, 183 stations, and 5,026 members; one on the Baltic with 4 churches, 9 stations, and 1,206 members; one in Denmark, with 22 churches, 101 stations, and 2,181 members; and one in South Africa, with 3 churches, 16 stations, and 676 members. Of the 58,108 members which are returned from the Asiatic and African missions 26,574 are in Burmah and Siam, showing an increase for the year of over 700. A special difficulty in the work in Burmah is the fact of the division of the population in language and race characteristics, requiring distinct missions to the Burmans, the Karens, the Shans, the Kachins, and the Chins. And these separate missions are to be found in the same territory, in the same towns and cities. In Henthada, for example, there is a Burman, a Karen, and a Chin department; and the Karens are sometimes divided into the Red-Karen, Bghai-Karen, and Paku-Karen departments, and there are still other varieties of Karens. The majority of the members in Burmah are Karens, who are an inferior people and were formerly slaves to the Burmans. The total of baptisms in Burmah last year was 1,794. The appropriations from the Union aggregated about $100,000, to which the mission added about $35,000 for churches, schools, and general benevolence. The missionary force is 107, and the number of ordained and unordained ministers 513. Of the 510 churches, 310 are self-supporting. In the 7 stations in Assam are 1,922 members, gathered in 30 churches, of which four are self-sustaining. The field in India is among the Telugus. This was for many years a fruitless mission, but it now reports more members than the Burmah mission, and was the most fruitful mission last year in the list of the Union, returning 1,000 of the 1,668 net gain of all the missions.
The mission in China reports 1,516 members in 18 churches, of which 4 are self-supporting. There are 519 members in Japan, with 13 churches, only one of which pays its own expenses.
The African mission is yet in its infancy. A few years ago the mission received the Congo mission from the Livingstone Inland Mission, an undenominational organization, which had its headquarters in Cardiff, Wales. There are now seven stations on the Congo, one being at Stanley Pool and one at the equator, above the Pool.
The following is a summary of results for the seventy-three years of the Union's operations:
| Members in its mission fields |
125,530 |
| Number of churches |
1,265 |
| Number of preachers |
1,730 |
| Baptisms last year |
9,342 |
| Income of the Union the past year from all sources |
$406,639 |
The American Missionary Association
HELD its 41st Annual Meeting in Portland, Me., Oct. 25-27, 1887. Items from its Annual Report: The receipts of the year cover all the expenses of the year, wipe out the debt of $5,000 with which the year began, and leave $2,193.80 with which to start out on the coming year.
EDUCATIONAL WORK IN THE SOUTH.
Total number of schools planted in the Southern States is fifty-four. Six of these are chartered institutions, fairly entitled to the rank of Colleges. Sixteen are Normal and Training Schools. Thirty-two are common schools, scattered throughout nine different States. In these schools are 246 instructors and 8,616 pupils.
CHURCH WORK.
| Number of Churches |
127 |
| Number of Missionaries |
103 |
| Number of Church members |
7,896 |
| Added during the year |
1,197 |
| Scholars in our Sunday-schools |
15,109 |
These statistics show a substantial gain over last year. Seven new churches were organized.
There has been during the year a quiet Christian work throughout the South, which has borne gratifying fruits, over 1,000 having confessed Christ for the first time. The Sunday-school enrollment has increased by nearly 2,000. They contributed this year for benevolence, outside of their own work, $2,322.51, and for their own church purposes, $16,014.50, making a grand total of $18,337.01. This was an increase over the previous year of $610.96 in their benevolences, and $3,075.61 in the total. This is an average contribution of $2.32 per member for every man, woman and child in these churches.
INDIAN WORK, chiefly in Nebraska and Dakota. The following is the summary:
| Churches |
5 |
| Church members |
370 |
| Added during the year |
43 |
| Schools |
18 |
| Pupils in Schools |
608 |
| Missionaries and Teachers |
61 |
CHINESE WORK.
| Missions |
17 |
| Missionaries |
28 |
| Pupils enrolled |
1,044 |
| Hopeful conversions |
150 |
| Given up to idolatry |
211 |
RECEIPTS.
| From Churches, Sabbath-schools, Missionary Societies and individuals |
$189,483.39 |
| Estates and Legacies |
52,266.73 |
| Income, Sundry Funds |
10,561.07 |
| Tuition and Public Funds |
28,964.81 |
| Rents |
478.10 |
| United States Government for Education of Indians |
17,357.21 |
| Slater Fund, paid to Institutions |
7,650.00 |
| Total |
$306,761.31 |
The total disbursements for the year have been $298,783.80, a decrease in the expenditures of last year of $13,467.
Foreign Missions of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
FROM 52d Annual Report, closing Sept 1st, we glean the following facts and figures:
In Japan the advance is rapid. In Africa, notwithstanding the political disturbance at the lower end of the Missionary Jurisdiction of Cape Palmas, the workers are brave and true and the work is being systematically prosecuted; not only in the localities with which the Church has been familiar for years, but also in the regions beyond. In China, the evangelistic work, largely conducted by the native clergy, as well as the parochial work among the converts, and that of the day and boarding-schools and St. John's College, and the medical mission, each has its own story to tell of diligence and encouragement, notwithstanding the publications during the year which have given the impression that the work in China is suffering. Bishop Holly makes his own report of the labors of himself and of his little band of clergy in Haiti. It is a story of energetic labor amid discouraging conditions and with limited resources. All of these statements will be fully borne out by the particulars that will be submitted. Still the call is for more workers. The fields are indeed white unto the harvest. We thank God that the whole Church is praying, in the Litany, that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into his harvest.
Analysis of Receipts for Foreign Missions in the Last Ten Years.
| Year |
Whole No. of Parishes* |
No. of Parishes Contributing to For. Mis. |
Receipts from Contributions |
Receipts from Legacies |
Total (Appropriations) |
Receipts from Contributions (Specials) |
Receipts from Legacies (Specials) |
Total (Specials) |
Gross receipts for the year |
| 1877-8 |
2,900 |
1,170 |
$91,539 67 |
$17,974 98 |
$109,514 65 |
$24,456 92 |
$6,000 00 |
$30,456 92 |
$139,971 57 |
| 1878-9 |
2,900 |
1,163 |
95,846 02 |
16,709 86 |
112,555 88 |
35,771 96 |
275 00 |
36,046 96 |
148,602 84 |
| 1879-80 |
2,900 |
1,217 |
†117,042 45 |
27,458 33 |
144,500 78 |
17,583 47 |
— |
17,583 47 |
162,084 25 |
| 1880-1 |
3,000 |
1,230 |
‡136,993 18 |
22,977 06 |
159,970 24 |
25,788 05 |
— |
25,788 05 |
185,758 29 |
| 1881-2 |
3,000 |
1,487 |
128,945 80 |
31,168 41 |
160,114 21 |
13,233 84 |
500 00 |
13,733 84 |
173,848 05 |
| 1882-3 |
3,000 |
1,375 |
§116,772 63 |
28,230 82 |
145,003 45 |
13,927 05 |
— |
13,927 05 |
158,930 50 |
| 1883-4 |
3,000 |
1,389 |
111,299 20 |
9,638 70 |
120,937 90 |
7,843 68 |
6,200 00 |
14,043 68 |
134,981 58 |
| 1884-5 |
3,000 |
1,412 |
103,223 31 |
76,087 47 |
179,310 78 |
17,017 16 |
2,000 00 |
19,017 16 |
198,327 94 |
| 1885-6 |
3,450 |
1,996 |
137,982 82 |
12,929 30 |
150,912 12 |
14,355 58 |
100,400 00 |
114,755 58 |
265,667 70 |
| 1886-7 |
3,450 |
1,814 |
126,410 74 |
6,926 42 |
133,327 16 |
21,781 79 |
— |
21,781 79 |
155,108 95 |
*From Church Almanac. †Including $4,250, specifically contributed toward paying off the Mexican Loan. ‡Including a single gift of $13,200, and also $2,000 for Mexican Loan. §Including $2,481.50 for Mexican Loan.
This table shows the exact resources for Foreign Missions of the Board of Managers since its organization in 1877. During the decade there have been but three years in which the contributions for the general work have exceeded those of the past year, and in two instances that excess is accounted for in the table. At the same time the amount received from legacies available for the work of the Society in Foreign Lands is much less than in any other of the ten years named.
The total receipts of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society for the year were $402,440.52, a decrease of $1,732.45 from previous year. The receipts for Domestic Missions were $219,439.33.
Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions.
ABSTRACT of the 50th annual report presented to the General Assembly at its meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, May, 1887.
No less than eight of the missionaries of the Board have died during the year, while seven ordained and three medical missionaries, and six lady teachers, have permanently withdrawn during the same time. To strengthen the posts weakened by this depletion, the Board has sent out during the year seven ordained missionaries, of whom six were married, eight medical missionaries, of whom two were ladies, and eleven unmarried ladies.
Work has been prosecuted among 11 tribes of American Indians, and the Chinese and Japanese in the United States; in Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil and Chili; in Africa, among the inhabitants of Liberia, and those of the Gaboon and Corisco region; and in Asia in important centers of influence in India, Siam, China, Japan, Korea, Persia, and Syria. In addition to this the Board has rendered substantial assistance to the evangelical work in Papal Europe through approved societies on the Continent. There have been in commission during the year, 173 ordained missionaries, 30 laymen, mostly physicians, and 296 ladies. Besides these, the missionary force includes 134 native ordained ministers, and 154 licentiates, which, with 756 Bible readers, catechists, etc., makes a total force in the employ of the Board during the year of 1,543. Three hundred and ten organized churches are on the roll, with 21,420 communicants, of whom 2,791 were added during the year. These churches report contributions to the amount of $28,552. The aggregate attendance on schools of all grades was 23,329.
In the various fields occupied by the Board there has been much to encourage, and yet not a little to perplex and disturb. In some of the missions, the Holy Spirit has so sealed the truth upon the hearts and consciences of the people that precious ingatherings have been witnessed, and the joy of harvest experienced. In others it has been a time mainly of diligent sowing and patient waiting. When the deep poverty of many of those gathered out of heathenism is remembered, the contributions of native Christians for the support of the Gospel during the year indicate high attainment in the grace of Christian beneficence. In some parts of the field a noteworthy advance has been made in the measure of government favor accorded to our missionaries, as in China, Japan and Siam, showing that the mission work is commending itself to those in high position, and that the door of access to the nations is constantly widening. On the other hand, the restrictions of the French government, in the territory occupied by the Gaboon and Corisco Mission have become so severe, as virtually to tie the hands of our missionaries, and to drive them from the field. After repeated efforts to secure some modification of the restrictions imposed, the Board has felt constrained, at the urgent request of the brethren on the field, to take measures to transfer that mission to another evangelical body, should the way be clear, and secure a foothold, if possible, within German territory.
RECEIPTS FOR THE YEAR.
| From Churches and Sabbath-schools |
$360,231.51 |
| Woman's Boards |
248,649.59 |
| Individual and miscellaneous sources |
72,006.65 |
| Legacies |
103,269.84 |
| Total |
$784,157.59 |
| Expenditures of the Board |
$722,494.90 |
| Add the debt of last year |
57,853.28 |
|
$780,348.18 |
| Leaving a balance in treasury of |
$3,809.41 |
This shows an increase last year of $55,618.14, although $34,696.39 was a special gift for the debt in the previous year's receipts.
The Assembly resolved to aim at the raising of $1,000,000 for the current year for foreign missions.
EXPENDITURES AND STATISTICS OF THE MISSIONS.
For missions among 11 tribes of Indians, with which are connected 15 American and 13 Indian preachers, 2 Indian licentiate preachers, 3 American laymen and 35 women, 15 native assistants, 1,741 communicants, and 13 schools, with 422 scholars, of whom 194 are in boarding-schools—$28,839.79.
For missions to the Chinese in this country, with stations in New York, San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles and other places, in connection with which are 4 ministers, 8 female teachers (unsalaried teachers not enumerated), 7 native assistants, 286 communicants, and 17 schools, with 779 scholars, not including pupils in Sabbath-school—$17,909.57.
For mission in Japan, at 4 stations and several outstations, with 12 American and 11 native ministers, 15 licentiate preachers, 2 American laymen and 31 women, 2,178 communicants, and 11 schools, connected with which are 1,184 scholars, of whom 200 are in boarding-schools—$63,166.27.
For 3 missions in China, with 13 stations and over 150 outstations, 36 ordained Americans and 15 ordained natives, 35 licentiate preachers, 8 American laymen and 49 women, 144 native assistants, 4,306 communicants, and 94 schools, with 1,983 scholars, of whom 572 are in boarding-schools—$102,626.57.
For mission in Korea, with 1 American minister, 2 American laymen and 3 women—$8,868.63.
For 2 missions in Siam and Laos, at 4 stations and 14 outstations, 11 American ministers, 4 native licentiate preachers, 3 American laymen and 17 women, 23 native assistants, 676 communicants, and 14 schools, with 380 scholars, of whom 112 are in boarding-schools—$37,928.20.
For 3 missions in India, at 25 stations, 13 outstations, with 35 American and 19 native ministers, 31 licentiate preachers, 2 American laymen and 57 women, 216 native assistants, 1,033 communicants, and 9,671 scholars—$113,317.21.
For 2 missions in Persia, with 5 stations and about 100 outstations, 10 American and 32 native ministers, 35 licentiate preachers, 5 American laymen and 30 women, 120 native assistants, 2,052 communicants, 115 schools, with 2,731 scholars, of whom 230 are in boarding-schools—$61,430.83.
For mission in Syria, at 5 stations and 86 outstations, connected with which are 13 American and 4 native ministers, 32 licentiate preachers, 1 American layman and 23 women, 143 native assistants, 1,440 communicants, 119 schools, with 5,172 scholars, 270 of whom are in boarding-schools—$55,248.22.
For mission in Liberia, Africa, 7 stations, 3 American and 3 native ministers, 1 American layman, 1 woman, 1 native assistant, 284 communicants, 5 schools, and 157 scholars, of whom 88 are in boarding-schools—$3,669.17.
For Gaboon and Corisco Mission, at 6 stations and several outstations, with 5 ordained American and 3 ordained native ministers, 2 licentiates, 1 American lay missionary and 9 women, 14 native assistants, 688 communicants—$20,216.79.
For missions in Brazil, at 9 stations and several outstations, with 10 American and 6 native ministers, 2 licentiates, 1 male and 12 female missionaries, 29 native assistants, 1,895 communicants, 21 schools, with 518 scholars, of whom 42 are in boarding-school—$50,640.59.
For mission in Chili, at 3 stations, 8 ministers, 1 native minister, 4 native licentiates, 6 female teachers, 11 native assistants, 449 communicants, and 3 schools, with 260 scholars, of whom 27 are in boarding-school—$23,089.59.
For mission in U. S. of Colombia, at 1 station, with 2 American ministers, 3 female missionaries, 5 native assistants, 66 communicants, and 1 school, with 50 scholars, of whom 10 are in boarding-school—$5,798.99.
For mission in Guatemala, at 1 station, 2 female missionaries, 12 communicants, and 1 school, with 26 scholars—$4,536.72.
For mission in Mexico, with 6 stations, and about 100 outstations, 8 American and 27 native ministers, 21 licentiates, 12 female missionaries, 29 native assistants, 4,314 communicants, and 20 schools, with 620 (partial report) scholars, of whom 51 are in boarding-schools—$80,597.82.
For missions in European Papal countries—France, Belgium, Italy, etc.—$4,354.70.
For Home Expenses—printing, salaries, miscellaneous—$36,727.93.
| Total receipts |
$784,157.59 |
| Total payments (including debt of $57,853.28) |
780,348.18 |
| Balance, April 30, 1887 |
$3,809.41 |
Financial Exhibit of All the Boards of Presbyterian Church, 1886-87.
| Board |
Balance, 1886 |
Debt, 1886 |
Receipts |
Expenditures |
Balance, 1887 |
Debt, 1887 |
| 1. Home Missions |
— |
— |
*$640,258.03 |
$604,937.02 |
— |
$21,687.77 |
| Sustentation |
$8,180.45 |
— |
13,198.00 |
16,423.60 |
$4,954.85 |
— |
| 2. Foreign Missions |
— |
57,853.28 |
784,157.59 |
780,348.18 |
3,809.41 |
— |
| 3. Education |
— |
2,600.92 |
67,149.59 |
84,657.10 |
— |
14,906.59 |
| 4. Sabbath-school Work |
— |
24,511.42 |
49,751.29 |
50,175.36 |
— |
24,935.49 |
| 5. Church Erection—a. Churches |
18,794.73 |
— |
84,080.14 |
97,343.79 |
15,837.36 |
— |
| b. Manses |
26,297.00 |
— |
1,022.46 |
10,737.34 |
9,767.12 |
— |
| 6. Relief |
5,685.92 |
— |
142,009.10 |
120,619.23 |
— |
21,389.87 |
| 7. Freedmen |
— |
6,200.81 |
115,203.83 |
123,134.26 |
— |
14,131.24 |
| 8. Aid for Colleges |
— |
— |
53,279.66 |
53,279.66 |
— |
— |
| Totals |
$58,958.10 |
$134,800.93 |
$1,950,109.69 |
$1,941,655.64 |
$33,868.74 |
$97,050.96 |
*Includes $13,368.28 for investment.
United Presbyterian Church.
Abstract from the 28th Annual Report, presented May 26, 1887.
The Board report a year of unusual interest. "Every department of the work has shown the signal presence and favor of God." In the Indian mission, 1,934 professed Christ. The native church increased from 2,176 members in 1885 to 4,019 at the close of 1886. A marked advance was made also in Egypt. At home additional interest has been shown. Women's Missionary Societies increased from 501 to 593; members from 13,585 to 15,004; and contributions to foreign missions from $10,765 to $13,803.
MISSIONS.
There are two—one in the Punjab, or northwestern Province of India, and the other in the Delta and valley of the Nile in Egypt. In the former, the mission embraces the eight districts, Sialkot, Zafarwal, East and West Gujranwala, Jhelum, Gurdaspur, Pasrur and Pathankot with their several hundred villages. The latter has the districts of Alexandria, Cairo, Mansoora, the Fayoom, Lower, Middle and Upper Thebaid, and is in as many as possible of the 12,293 town and villages that are in them and the country at large.
GENERAL SUMMARY.
Missions 2, Stations 121, Foreign Missionaries 16, married women 16, single 20, Physicians 2. Total foreign laborers 54. Native ordained ministers 20, licentiates 9, other workers 346. Total native workers 375. Total of all laborers 429. Churches 31, Average Sabbath attendance 7,759. Communicants 6,161. Increase during the year (India 2,030, Egypt 311) 2,341. Baptisms 2,881. Sabbath-schools 138. Sabbath-school scholars 5,625. Other schools 192. Scholars in them 9,219. Contributions for church purposes $5,587. Appraised value of mission property $325,701.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES. The receipts for the year were:
| Source |
1886 |
1887 |
| To balance brought forward |
— |
$400.00 |
| Presbyteries |
$43,342.46 |
48,339.56 |
| Sabbath Schools |
5,706.28 |
8,536.89 |
| Ladies' Societies |
6,796.19 |
8,803.48 |
| Individuals |
9,801.64 |
5,002.07 |
| Women's Auxiliary Bds. |
— |
1,626.76 |
| Interest |
884.43 |
1,994.99 |
| Bequests |
18,705.54 |
8,737.92 |
| Gibson Trust Fund |
716.23 |
902.13 |
| Total |
85,952.77 |
84,343.80 |
The Expenditures for the year were for the Egyptian Mission $37,620.45, for India $30,351.04, for sending out, returning, and new missionaries $4,325.60, for salaries and children of missionaries at home $5,056.02, for other necessary home expenses $1,899.07, for payment of debt to Quarter Centennial fund $5,091.62, and for payment of debt to Egyptian mission $3,248.70, making a total of $87,592.50. The contributions of the church were less by $3,648.70 than the expenditures.
CORRESPONDENCE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
III.-CORRESPONDENCE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE.
ONE of our esteemed editorial correspondents, Prof. W. C. Wilkinson, D.D., writes us in the following inspiring words:
A World's Missionary Council.
THE MISSIONARY REVIEW will, if God prosper the enterprise, fulfilling the hopes and prayers of its conductors, become in some sort a realization of a certain broad and beneficent idea lately breathed in a published volume. One of the editors of this REVIEW, in a book entitled "The Crisis of Missions," proposes in the serene boldness of faith, the plan of holding an Œcumenical Council of a new order, a Pan-Christian Conference in behalf of Missions in every part of the world. A "World's Missionary Council," he calls it.
The idea is inspiring. There is a tonic audacity in it. It has the spirit of the beginning of the era of modern missions. It might have been William Carey's proposal. Its motto well might read, "Expect great things from God."
THE MISSIONARY REVIEW is already in purpose something like a fulfillment of such a noble dream. It offers to be a council in perpetual session, to consult for the spread of the Gospel throughout the whole earth. It will do what it can to bring about, in God's good time, the actual convening of Christendom in a council to concert measures for the speedy evangelization of the world. The reflex influence upon present Christendom of an effort to make itself commensurate with mankind would be such a strengthening of the things among us at home that remain, and that, without such a forthputting like this of power to save, are themselves ready to faint—such a strengthening, we say, as would mark an historic epoch in the advance of Christianity comparable to that of the Protestant Reformation—comparable, but, perhaps, superior.
May that God who has promised His Son the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession, graciously accept each successive number of this REVIEW as one more prayer of His expecting Church,
THY KINGDOM COME!
China Inland Mission.
Letter from J. Hudson Taylor, our London Editorial Correspondent:
LONDON, Nov. 1st, 1887.
DEAR DR. PIERSON:
May I, for Mr. Radcliffe, as well as myself, reply to your kind letters about Editorial Correspondents? We are both so circumstanced that, while we should be very willing to be occasional correspondents, we could not undertake to write at regular intervals, or to any large extent. For myself, I must also add that perhaps half my time is spent in China and half in England.
We are both in hearty sympathy with you, and would gladly do anything in our power to help you. May the Lord make the REVIEW more than ever a blessing and a success.
Yours, faithfully,
J. HUDSON TAYLOR.
One of our editorial correspondents, Dr. H. H. Jessup, of Syria, writes a private letter, but it is of such public interest that we venture to print it. It was in acknowledgment of a copy of the little book on missions recently sent by the author to his old friend in Syria.—A. T. P.
BEIRUT, SYRIA, May 9, 1887.
MY DEAR BROTHER PIERSON:
I have just received a copy of your excellent book, "The Crisis of Missions," with your card, and write to tell you how highly I value the book.
Your preliminary word, that "the spirit of Christ is the spirit of Missions," is the keynote to the whole book, and should be the keynote of the life of every Christian disciple. One of the problems which I cannot solve, and which I shall be anxious to have solved when I reach the kingdom of glory, is this: "How will those Christians who say that they do not believe in missions explain their position to the glorified Redeemer?"
There can be no question as to your position on this great subject. I trust every young man and woman in our colleges and seminaries will be enabled in some way to read this stirring volume. But perhaps I was hasty in writing that sentence. For supposing that they should read it, and be stirred and thrilled by it as I have been, and hundreds of them should be led to say, "Lord, here am I; send me." "Churches of Christ, here we are; send us:" and all this in addition to the 1,500 mentioned by Dr. McCosh in his letter who have already decided to go, what would be the effect on the churches? Of one thing I am sure, and that is, that while a few "Thomas" churches might doubt and even despair, the great body of Christ's own children everywhere would be set on fire with the conviction that now is the Crisis; that God hath verily spoken to his people; that the silver trumpet has sounded the note of advance; that the church must either rise to the duty of the hour, or be swept aside, and another church be raised up to do the work.
I have just had under my roof that devoted man of God, Major General Haig, long in India, and now from England, who has just journeyed all around the west, south and east coast of Arabia, looking for openings for planting Missionary and Bible Stations; and his reports which are appearing in the Church Missionary Intelligencer are like the journals of an apostle.
The fact is that the last bolts and bars with which Satan clinched the gates of heathen empires centuries ago are dropping to the ground, and the rusty hinges are creaking open while the imprisoned nations stand wondering and waiting for the liberty of Christ.
Let us continue, my dear brother, to lift up our voices and call on our brethren and sisters everywhere to go forward.
I was greatly moved, when a lad, by reading Dr. Enoch Pond's "World's Salvation." But the facts and figures of that book, as I recall them, were far less stirring than those of your little volume. The darkness and the want then existed and were well described, but the open doors were few, and the actual call for men quite limited. But now the 1,500 candidates preparing to go could find work ready to their hands in Japan, or in Interior Africa.
The church's ear seems to be heavy and the church's hand to be shortened, while the Lord is calling louder and louder, and His mighty providence is moving on.
For years I have been waiting to hear Brother Moody's voice on this great subject of Foreign Missions, and now that he has thrown his heart and help and voice into the work, the Lord has granted a rich blessing. Your plan of apportioning out the unevangelized world among the Christian churches is a grand one. See how the nations of Europe are cutting and carving the continent of Africa for their own commercial objects! It is time that the whole world were thus taken possession of for Jesus our King.
We are working on quietly here in Syria. Our last annual report shows a greater advance than in any previous year, in additions to the church and in all other departments of our work.
Yours, affectionately,
HENRY HARRIS JESSUP.
Japan.
Rev. James H. Ballagh writes:
YOKOHAMA, May 4, 1887.
REV. DR. PIERSON:
Dear Brother—Knowing well your interest in mission work in general, and also something of your interest in particular in Japan, through your acquaintance with native brethren, now members of your church or residents of your city, I take the liberty to present the claims of an interesting field of work for assistance. It is to ask aid for help in erecting a church building at Tokosuka, the naval station in this part of Japan, and where most of their ship-building is carried on. There are extensive dry docks and works there, several marine hospitals, a fleet of vessels, and a considerable body of marines, besides a very live and enterprising population. Iniquity is also very active. The brothels are large, and thronged at night like a fair—the veritable Vanity Fair of "Pilgrim's Progress." To the outside world it is interesting as being a most beautiful land-locked harbor in an inner bay of Yedo bay, near Perry and Webster islands.
At this place the French Romanists had a fine chapel when they commenced work at the navy yard, but it has been sold for old lumber on their loss of influence in Japan. There is now an active Protestant Church of our United Church of Christ in Japan with 76 members. It is only of two or three years' growth. The work was commenced mostly under Dr. Saiki's influence, and, though himself a Congregationalist, he threw his influence in favor of a Presbyterian Church being established here. The Church meets in greatly straitened quarters at present. As the town is small, lots expensive, and few houses to let, the Church desires to build a suitable chapel. One thousand dollars will secure land and erect a modest building. $500 we hope to be able to raise here, and they would like an equal amount in gold from America. Their pastor, the Rev. Ito Tokichi, is an indefatigable worker and an excellent Christian man. The membership is largely doctors—naval physicians—and their families.
Hoping that some practical manifestation of the hearty interest which American Christians take in the establishment of Christ's cause in Japan may result from this appeal,
I am sincerely yours in Christ,
JAMES H. BALLAGH.
Revised Edition of Dr. Judson's Burmese Bible.
The following extract from a recent private letter of the Rev. Dr. Jameson, Baptist Missionary in Burmah, to his seminary classmate, Prof. W. C. Wilkinson, D.D., will be read with interest. The date is Rangoon, Aug. 31, 1887:
"I am here for two weeks on the proofs, for I have agreed to give half my time to watching the new edition of Dr. Judson's Burman Bible through the press. I read each form seven times. Once correcting copy, and three times for typographical and other errors—besides verifying corrections. Of course I have good native help. But they need me as much as I need them. When I go back to my own district, I take my work along. For example, on that jungle trip, I corrected eight pages of the quarto for copy. After the Bible was printed, Dr. Judson made many changes in spelling, and the spelling of the Bible must be corrected from the dictionary. The whole must also be newly punctuated, and Dr. Judson's own corrections of the text must be made. When I am away, I leave the work in the hands of the Burman proof-readers, who do their best, and these forms I read only five times. But no form is put to press except when I am here. I will send you the next form with an English word in it, that will tell you where we are. When you receive it, you may comfort yourself with the thought that we are through that Book [Deuteronomy], probably."
India.
Communication from Rev. Jacob Chamberlain, M.D., Madanapelle, India, one of our editorial correspondents:
A Brahmin on the Bible.
In 1870, after three years of baffled effort, a lot was obtained in the bazaar street of the native town of Madanapalle, Madras Presidency, India, and a free reading room was erected and opened by the missionary in charge, Rev. J. Chamberlain, M.D., of the Arcot Mission of the Reformed Church of America. It was designed to obtain a hold of the educated young men of the place. Well-stocked with newspapers, periodicals and books, and with copies of the Bible in seven different languages on the tables, and with Scriptures, tracts, Christian books and school books for sale, it was thrown open for their use on every week-day and evening, with the exception that on Wednesday evenings there was to be a Biblical lecture, which all were invited to attend.
On each lecture evening a parable, a miracle, a biography, a prophecy, a sermon on Christ, a historical account—as of the creation, deluge, Joseph in Egypt, the exodus, etc.—was taken up and illustrated. While it was endeavored to make the lectures attractive as a literary treat, the bearing of each subject on the gospel of Jesus Christ and His salvation was never lost sight of.
From the beginning the room was always crowded on these occasions by intelligent heathen. At the close of one of these Bible lectures by Dr. Chamberlain, a Brahmin—one of the best educated in the place, not a convert—arose and asked permission to say a few words. In a neat address he urged upon his fellow-citizens the importance of availing themselves of the advantages offered for their intellectual and moral advancement, and in conclusion gave the following remarkable testimony to the Christian Scriptures:
"Behold that mango tree on yonder roadside! Its fruit is approaching to ripeness. Bears it that fruit for itself or its own profit? From the moment the first ripe fruits turn their yellow sides towards the morning sun until the last mango is pelted off, it is assailed with showers of sticks and stones from boys and men, and every passer-by, until it stands bereft of leaves, with branches knocked off, bleeding from many a broken twig; and piles of stones underneath, and clubs and sticks lodged in its boughs, are the only trophies of its joyous crop of fruit. Is it discouraged? Does it cease to bear fruit? Does it say, 'If I am barren no one will pelt me, and I shall live in peace?' Not at all. The next season the budding leaves, the beauteous flowers, the tender fruit again appear. Again it is pelted, and broken, and wounded, but goes on bearing, and children's children pelt its branches and enjoy its fruit.
"That is a type of these missionaries. I have watched them well, and have seen what they are. What do they come to this country for? What tempts them to leave their parents, friends and country, and come to this, to them an unhealthy climate? Is it for gain or for profit that they come? Some of us country clerks in Government offices receive more salary than they. Is it for an easy life? See how they work, and then tell me. No; they seek, like the mango tree, to bear fruit for the benefit of others; and this, too, though treated with contumely and abuse from those they are benefiting.
"Now look at this missionary! He came here a few years ago, leaving all, and seeking only our good! He was met with cold looks and suspicious glances, and was shunned, avoided and maligned. He sought to talk with us of what he told us was the matter of most importance in heaven or earth, and we would not listen. But he was not discouraged. He started a dispensary, and we said, 'Let the Pariahs take his medicines, we won't;' but in the times of our sickness and distress and fear, we had to go to him, and he heard us. We complained if he walked through our Brahmin streets; but ere long, when our wives and daughters were in sickness and anguish, we went and begged him to come, even into our inner apartments; and he came, and our wives and daughters now smile upon us in health. Has he made any money by it? Even the cost of the medicines has not been returned to him.
"And now, in spite of our opposition, he has bought this site, and built this beautiful room, and furnished it with the choicest of lore in many languages, and put in it newspapers and periodicals, which were inaccessible to us before, but which help us now to keep up with the world around us, and understand passing events; and he has placed here tables to write on, and chairs to sit on, and lamps for us to read and write by in the evening; and what does he get for all this? Does he make money by this free reading-room? Why, we don't even pay for the lamp-oil consumed by night as we read.
"Now, what is it makes him do all this for us? It is his Bible. I have looked into it a good deal at one time and another, in the different languages I chanced to know. It is just the same in all languages. The Bible—there is nothing to compare with it in all our sacred books for goodness and purity and holiness and love, and for motives of action.
"Where did the English-speaking people get all their intelligence, and energy, and cleverness, and power? It is their Bible that gives it to them. And now they bring it to us and say, 'This is what raised us; take it and raise yourselves.' They do not force it upon us, as the Mohammedans did with their Koran, but they bring it in love, and translate it into our languages, and lay it before us, and say, 'Look at it; read it; examine it, and see if it is not good.' Of one thing I am convinced: do what we will, oppose it as we may, it is the Christians' Bible that will, sooner or later, work the regeneration of this land."
Death of Rev. E. P. Swift.
Rev. G. W. Scott, of the Reformed Presbyterian Mission, India, writes Sept. 17, 1887:
The Rev. Elisha P. Swift died at his residence, Gujranwala, North India, Aug. 16th, 1887. His health began to fail about a year ago, when he had a fall while out in the district. Still he kept on with his duties, whether the weather was hot or cold, wet or dry, realizing that he was approaching the gates of death, preaching as a dying man to dying men. He was taken sick while in the district looking after the Christians he had baptized with his own hands, who were scattered through the towns and villages of western Gujranwala, many hundreds in number; for in some months he baptized as many as three or four hundred persons. His co-laborer, the Rev. J. P. McKee, was with him to the last. About a month before his death he was confined to his house with carbuncles, caused by diabetes, which caused him great pain. Yet he bore all with Christian patience, knowing that the Hand which afflicts is able to heal. His death was a peaceful and quiet one, surrounded by his wife and children, whom he leaves to mourn his loss. His funeral procession was a very large one, attended by several hundreds of people—the majority being from the Hindu and Mohammedan classes. These people, while opposed to Christianity, had learned to love the "man of God," and followed his remains to his last resting place, which is in the Church of England graveyard, close to the city of Gujranwala.
Africa.—Nothing was known of the interior of the Dark Continent until within a few years; now Africa is girdled with Christian missions. Between thirty and forty societies are working there. On the eastern coast the English penetrated to the great lakes, walking over the burning sands a thousand miles on foot, to plant the standard of the Cross. On the Congo River the Baptists of our own country have recently taken charge of the missions founded by Mr. Guinness, and their work is to be pushed into the interior—into the centre of cannibalism. Truly "Ethiopia is stretching out her hands unto God." The island of Madagascar, on the eastern coast of Africa, has been so largely Christianized that the natives of late gave some ten millions of dollars to Christian missions and evangelistic work.
To-day thirty-four missionary societies are at work in Africa, and all its 200,000,000 souls are practically within the reach of Christian missions; thirty-three societies have begun work in China, and all its 350,000,000 souls may be visited with the message of the gospel; more than fifty societies have entered India, and the light is dawning upon its 250,000,000; Turkey and Persia and Japan are filling with mission churches and mission schools; practically, the whole world is open, and the grandest day of opportunity for the kingdom of God that the earth has ever seen has fully dawned. If the cry of the lost nations reached the ear of those young men at Andover, with whom our work began, and would not let them rest, how that selfsame cry, to-day repeated from every people and land, and grown more articulate, must thrill the very heart of Christendom, and command instant and glowing response!—Judson Smith, D.D.
India.—The Church Missionary Intelligencer shows how the British Government and the East India Company were shamed out of their base patronage to Indian idolatry. Sir Peregrine Maitland accepted from the East India Company the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Madras army, and a seat in the Council—an office worth $50,000 a year—only on the condition that he should not be required to have any official connection with the idolatry of the country. He knew how the company had catered to the heathen ceremonies of India, even making large grants for their support. A few days after his arrival in Madras he received from the company's office in London a document sanctioning the appointment and payment of dancing girls in a certain Hindu temple, to which he was expected to affix his signature. He resolved to throw up his lucrative appointment and return to England rather than put his hand to any such scheme. The company declined to excuse Sir Peregrine, and, although comparatively poor, he sacrificed his $50,000 and returned to England. The annual festival of the goddess Yayagathal, the protectress of a part of Madras, was approaching; and the annual ceremony of marrying the East India Company to the image of this goddess was to be performed with great pomp. The goddess was borne in procession around the "black town," and then brought to government headquarters; a high official of the company came out, with a handsome cashmere shawl as a bridal present to the idol, and an ornament to be put around the bride's neck, the latter being used in native marriages in place of a ring, while repeating the words, "With this I thee wed," etc. The East India Company and the idol Yayagathal were thus pronounced husband and wife. Two missionaries in Madras united to caricature the scene. One wrote a minute description, the other with graphic pencil made a telling sketch of the nuptial scene. These were sent home. Bishop Blomfield carried them to the House of Lords, held them up to view, and declared that if the connection between the East India Company and the idol system of India was not abolished, he would send the letter and the cartoon broadcast throughout the land. This was sufficient. The absurdity and degradation were potent. Probably a petition signed by all the missionaries in India would scarcely have been so effective.—The Church.
There were in British India, according to the census of 1881, no less than 207,388 widows under fourteen years of age, and 78,976 of these were under nine. They can no longer legally be burned, but their earthly sufferings are worse than burning. Their widowhood is viewed by all Hindus as the punishment for horrible crimes committed in some previous existence. They are closely confined to the house; forbidden all companionship; confined to one meal a day, which they eat in solitude; obliged to conceal themselves in the morning, lest the sight of them bring bad fortune on the beholder; cursed, abhorred, suspected of every crime—and all this for life. Yet the doom of these innocent children is only the door-mat theory brought to its completeness. Because there is no one man living who has the right to tread them under his feet, they are trodden under feet of all.—Harper's Bazar.
There are in India 135,000 lepers—men, women and children—victims of the most terrible disease known to humanity. This society seeks to proclaim to them the blessed gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as far as possible, to relieve their dreadful sufferings, and provide for their simple wants.—Mission to Lepers in India.
At Lucknow, where so many were murdered during the Sepoy rebellion 30 years ago, 2,000 children, nearly all of Hindu Mohammedan parentage, recently marched in a Sunday-school procession. Two men in Dr. Chamberlain's hospital, on leaving for home asked for copies of the Testament read and explained to them while there. Being told that they could not read it, they replied, "When a peddler or tax-man comes around we'll make him read before we buy anything or pay our taxes." Four years after this, Dr. Chamberlain visiting a town some miles away, these men brought their whole village to him to be baptized.—The editor of The Star of India writes to The Independent: "There are no less than 36 missionary societies represented in India, besides ten or more private missions. The English Baptists were the first to enter this field (passing by the early Danish Missionary Society which sent the first Protestant missionaries to India in 1705), and the Disciples of Christ, whose mission dates from 1883, the last. All branches of the Church are represented. Europe and America, Great Britain, the Continent, the United States and Canada—all are here, laboring hand in hand for the uplifting of India. According to the statistical summary for 1885 there were 137,504 communicants representing the fruits of these missions."—In the Imperial Gazetteer of India, Dr. Hunter, Director-General of Statistics to the Government, says Christianity is now the faith of over two millions of the Indian population—a number twelve times as large as that of those who follow the teachings of Buddha. Whereas in 1830 there were only 27,000 native Protestants in all India, Ceylon and Burmah, in 1871 there were 318,363. The Government expends £170,000 per annum in supplying the spiritual wants of the troops and civil service.
Madura. There is worshiped by the natives a deity whose name means "Prince of Darkness." "They sacrifice to devils." The name of the village is "Temple Village," but it is a heathen temple. The ideas of these heathen, and even their language, are degraded by association with idolatry. (Compare "Hawaiian Islands," by Anderson, p. 291.) By religion they understand idol worship. When you tell them of Jesus living and dying 1800 years ago, they say their gods are 18,000,000 years old. When, on outbreak of war, the native disciples heard of the Missionary Board as straitened, they gave their jewels; one man gave a silver chain, worth half a year's savings, and children brought their toe rings and earrings and gave them to the mission treasury.
Revival in the Punjab. A remarkable work of grace is progressing in the English Church mission in Punjab, chiefly in and about Amritsar. Several prominent men, as well as people of low caste, have been reached. About 150 low-caste converts were baptized the previous year, but now the work seems much more extensive. Nothing like it in vigor and growth had ever been seen before in that region. The ingathering of low-caste people is affecting the Hindus, Sikhs, and the Mohammedans, and several of these higher classes have been reached. The missionary at Amritsar writes of the remarkable interest manifested in the simple story of the gospel: "Our compound resounds from morning to night with voices repeating to each other the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Creed, with bhajhans and bits of the Gospels." Much of this is the result of medical missions.
Japan.—English Books in Japan. The great spread of instruction in the English language in Japan has led to a great demand for English books. Over 85,000 English books of all classes were imported last year, as against 40,000 in 1885. The import of American books increased from 59,000 in 1885 to 119,000 in 1886. Sir F. R. Plunkett, British Consul at Tokio, remarks upon this: "An argument against a large import of educational works has hitherto existed in the fact that foreigners have no claim to the protection of the Japanese copyright, and any work that gained extensive popularity was sure to be pirated by Japanese publishers, and cheap editions of it issued that could be profitably sold at far less cost than the imported originals. This difficulty has been and can be got over by the co-operation of Japanese booksellers, and in this way not only is the benefit of copyright obtained, but the books are sold at lower prices than were formerly obtained for them by European booksellers in Japan." A large demand during the year for printing paper is traced principally to the publication of numerous translations of English works on law, political economy, history, and other educational subjects.—London Globe.
Japanese on Hawaii. The number of Japanese who have emigrated to Hawaii within two years is 2,859. Only about 100 of them have returned to Japan, and about the same number have died.
Greek and Roman Catholic Missions. The following statements respecting these missions are by Rev. J. Hartzler: "Bishop Nicolai furnished the statistics of the Greek Mission in Japan for 1886, as follows: Bishops, 1; foreign priests, 3; native priests, 11; deacons, 2; theological students, 104; whole number of native members, including baptized infants, 22,546. The Roman Catholic Mission in Japan reports: Bishops, 2; missionaries (all French), 59; native priests, 3; churches and chapels, 100; theological seminaries, 2; theological students, 72; catechists, 284; schools and orphan asylums, 69; pupils in the same, 3,340; total native membership, 32,294."
The Bible. The Bible is to-day translated, either wholly or in part, into 287 languages and dialects, including all that are widely spoken; so that the message of salvation from the printed page may reach nine-tenths of the entire population of the globe. The adherents of the religion of Jesus Christ to-day outnumber the followers of any other faith in the world. Christian missions number more than 2,000,000 adherents on heathen soil, and at the present rate of increase will include 20,000,000 before this century closes. Obstacles are not all overcome; the hardships and perils and heroisms of the work are not all past; Christian faith still finds itself often tried and courage is put well to the test, and checks and defeats enough attend the work to prove that the evil spirits of hate and murder are not yet exorcised: that still "through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God."—Judson Smith, D.D.
Increase of Protestantism. So extensive have been the defections from the established Greek Church in Southern Russia that the Holy Synod have appointed a commission to investigate the matter. This commission has now reported, acknowledging that these defections are great, and accusing their own clergy for their failure to discharge their clerical functions. The remedy for what they deplore seems to them to be greater zeal in attendance upon church services, more preaching, and more attention to church music. This report is substantial evidence of the power of Protestantism; and even the effort to withstand this new movement is very likely to help forward a needed reformation in the Greek Church.
Spiritual Progress in Persia.—The Church at Home and Abroad has an intensely interesting report of what has occurred in Persia within the last two years. This was the field of the old Nestorian Mission of the American Board, and is very dear to us still. A year ago it was reported that a larger number had been received to the church within the twelve months than during any former year. During the last winter more converts were won than in any of the first twenty-five years of the mission, though that period was marked by some memorable revivals. In Western Persia there are now 1,932 church members, in place of 713 fifteen years ago. During the revival which followed the Week of Prayer, the number of inquirers was over five hundred. This revival was conducted wholly by native pastors. Of the seventy-nine students in the college at Ooroomiah, seventy are followers of Christ. The western mission has ninety-four village schools, with over two hundred scholars. Dr. Labaree reports that the Moslems of Persia are more accessible than those of any other land. They are receiving large editions of the Bible, and those who have accepted Christianity, though a small company, have shown remarkable steadfastness and zeal.
An Egyptian papyrus, forty-two feet long and containing all the chapters of the "Book of the Dead," has been received and unrolled at the Sage Library, in New Brunswick, N. J. It was secured for the library by Rev. Dr. Lansing, a well-known missionary in Egypt. Experts pronounce it to have been written nearly 3,000 years ago.
The Bible in the Last Fifty Years.—The last anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society falling in the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria's reign, the speakers naturally reviewed the progress of the Bible cause during the last half century, and made some striking comparisons. The Earl of Harrowby, President of the Society, said:
"Fifty years ago our receipts were £100,000; now they are nearly £225,000. Fifty years ago the Auxiliary Societies amounted at home to 2,370; now they are over 5,300. Abroad you had 260 auxiliaries and branches fifty years ago; now 1,500. Fifty years ago the annual issue of the Bible and portions of it from this Society was 600,000; now it is about 4,000,000. The cheapest copy of the book, half a century back, was issued at about two shillings; now the price is sixpence. The cheapest Testament then was tenpence; the cheapest now is Lord Shaftesbury's, and the price is a penny. And that is not done by any grinding of the people who produce these works. One of the first questions I asked when I had the honor of being called to occupy this chair was, how were the workpeople treated who manufactured the cheap Bibles; and by the testimony, not only of ourselves but of the outside press, I have assured myself that there is neither overwork nor underpay. Fifty years ago the Scriptures were circulated in 136 languages; now they are circulated in 280. Fifty years ago fourteen fresh languages of Europe had been honored by Bible publication. Now the Bible has been published in twelve fresh languages in Central Asia and Siberia, twelve in India, fourteen in China and Mongolia, nineteen in the Pacific, thirty in Africa and thirty in America. In this fiftieth year of the Queen's reign there is only one great language which has not a complete translation of the Scriptures, namely, the Japanese language."
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT
IV. INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
CONDUCTED BY REV. J. T. GRACEY, D.D., OF THE "INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY UNION."
FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY UNION.
The International Missionary Union is an organization composed of returned missionaries of all Evangelical churches, whether at home temporarily or permanently. It seeks to promote mutual sympathy and co-operation of missionaries in their work, and holds annual meetings for the discussion of important questions connected with the work and the diffusion of missionary intelligence. The fourth annual meeting was held Aug. 10-17, at Thousand Island Park, the entire body of missionaries being entertained without cost by the Thousand Island Park Association. The forenoons were devoted to business, covering discussion of methods and recommendation of measures calculated to increase missionary efficiency. The afternoons consisted largely of presentation of incidents, statistics and facts bearing on specific topics of missionary interest, while the evenings were given to more formal platform addresses.
The "Seventy" missionaries present were as follows:
From India: Miss Dr. M. A. Anderson, Congregational Church; Rev. and Mrs. Chandler, Congregational; Miss M. J. Frith, Canada Baptist; Miss E. Gibson, Methodist Episcopal; Dr. and Mrs. J. T. Gracey, Methodist Episcopal; Rev. A. Hazen, Congregational; Rev. G. J. Martz, Evangelical Lutheran; Mrs. Rev. G. H. McGrew, Methodist Episcopal; Rev. James Mudge, Methodist Episcopal; Mrs. Stella Nichols, Evangelical Lutheran; Rev. C. W. Park, Congregational; Rev. Dr. J. L. Phillips, Free-will Baptist; Rev. D. W. Thomas, Methodist Episcopal.
From Turkey: Rev. Dr. H. M. Barnum, Congregational; Rev. Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, Congregational; Rev. L. O. Lee, Congregational; Rev. and Mrs. J. G. Leonard, Congregational.
From Bulgaria: Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Belden, Presbyterian; Rev. and Mrs. D. C. Challis, Methodist Episcopal.
From China: Mrs. Mary D. Culbertson, Presbyterian; Rev. J. G. Fagg, Reformed; Rev. Benj. Helm, Southern Presbyterian; Rev. and Mrs. Spencer Lewis, Methodist Episcopal; Rev. John Murray, Presbyterian; Rev. Dr. Speer, Presbyterian; Rev. and Mrs. C. A. Stanley, Congregational; Rev. and Mrs. J. L. Stuart, Southern Presbyterian.
From Assam: Rev. M. B. Comfort, Baptist; Rev. T. J. Stoddart, Baptist.
From Italy: Rev. Dr. Cushing, Methodist Episcopal.
From Jamaica: Rev. Dr. Douglass, Canada Methodist.
From Japan: Rev. and Mrs. W. C. Davidson, Methodist Episcopal; Miss Julia Gulick, Congregational; Rev. Dr. D. McDonald, Canada Methodist; Rev. and Mrs. J. M. McCauley, Presbyterian; Rev. J. H. Pettee.
From Siam: Rev. Dr. Wm. Dean, Baptist; Rev. and Mrs. Dr. S. R. House, Presbyterian; Rev. and Mrs. Lisle, Baptist; Rev. Dr. S. Mattoon, Presbyterian; Rev. J. Wilson, Presbyterian.
From Germany: Bishop and Mrs. J. F. Hurst, Methodist Episcopal.
From Mexico: Miss L. M. Latimer, Methodist Episcopal.
From Burmah: Rev. and Mrs. C. A. Nichols, Baptist.
From Ceylon: Rev. and Mrs. T. S. Smith, Congregational.
Missionaries to North American Indians: Rev. and Mrs. Egerton R. Young, Canada Methodist; Rev. and Mrs. Dr. Geo. Young, Canada Methodist; Rev. and Mrs. E. Arnold, Methodist Episcopal.
Persons under appointment to foreign fields: Rev. H. F. Laflamme, Canada Baptist, India; Rev. J. F. Smith, Canada Presbyterian, China; Rev. J. P. McNaughton, Canada Presbyterian, Turkey; Miss Dr. May Carlton and Miss E. J. Hinckle, both to be sent to China this autumn under the auspices of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Thirteen mission countries were thus represented, besides which one native of Armenia, one of Japan, and a Karen took part in the exercises. Missionaries from Saskatchewan and Ceylon clasped hands in the fellowship of a common cause. Veteran and volunteer inspired, either the other. The utterances of Dr. Dean were rendered weighty by the fifty-three years of self-sacrifice and toil behind them. His address on "The Translation of the Scriptures into Chinese," will be found on another page in this Department.
Dr. Leonard had preached in Tarsus, Iconium and Cappadocia. Miss Gulick of Japan was born of missionary parents in Honolulu. Mrs. McGrew of India was born on mission soil in Buenos Ayres. Rev. Dr. Phillips and Rev. Mr. Smith of Ceylon claimed India as their native land, being of the second generation of missionaries.
Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, after more than forty years of missionary service, and with the weight of seventy years upon him, intellectually demonstrated that his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated. He was appointed by the A. B. C. F. M. to Constantinople in 1837, and was the father of Robert College. The manner in which he secured for the erection of this College the most desirable of all the sites commanding the view of the Bosphorus, makes a story of thrilling interest, and gives him the highest rank for diplomacy. For seven years he held on to a pledge of Ali Pasha, who, under the influence of a protest from the French Ambassador, crowded on by the head of the Jesuits, and a like protest from the Ambassador of Russia, goaded on by the Patriarch of the Greek Church, was openly declaring that it was not possible for the pledge to be redeemed; because the property was so related to that of these powers, that the college could not be erected on that commanding site. But notwithstanding all this, he held his position, until at the end of seven years he received a note from Ali Pasha saying, "You may begin the erection of your college as soon as you please." He had outdone the diplomacy of the head of the Jesuits and the French Ambassador, as well as of the Greek Patriarch and the Ambassador of Russia, and had secured from the Sultan himself by Imperial Volition a permit to build the college. This was infallible, and neither Ali Pasha nor any one else would dare call it in question. But this was not all. An order was given to allow all the material brought from England and France to enter duty free.
Here were men and women who had hazarded their lives for the Lord Jesus. The "beloved physician," Dr. S. M. House, had been gored by an elephant; Jonathan Wilson, a pioneer to the Laos mission, was imperilled, when his converts were slain by royal order. The younger brother and sister Lewis, of far Western China, had faced the fury of a Chinese mob that plundered and destroyed their chapel and their home, compelling them and their colleagues to set off in native boats on a 1,500 mile journey down the great Yang-tse-kiang to the sea. Here were those whose hearts had been kept from fear when 2,000 in a day were dying of cholera in the capital city of Siam, where they lived; men who had given bread to the famishing thousands in North China, saving many lives at the risk of their own; those who had ministered to the lepers and outcasts of India. Some had lived with the savage Santals in their jungle homes, and with the red men of our continent in their wigwams. Others, on their mission-preaching tours, had traveled in wheelbarrows, in sledges drawn by dogs, in palankeens, in jinrikshas, in birch-bark canoes, on elephants, on camels, and hundreds of miles on snow-shoes. One member had been speared by Malay pirates, and another, like Paul, had been shipwrecked and cast ashore on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. But whatever else had been their experiences or deliverances, all could speak of the blessedness of the Master's service, and of souls once without God and without hope turned from darkness to light and rejoicing in the Saviour they had found.
THE THEMES DISCUSSED.
"The place of higher education in mission work" was presented by Rev. Mr. Smith of Ceylon, who gave an interesting account of the development of the educational work of the American Board in that island. The prevailing view seemed to be that when there appeared to be a general desire among people for higher education the missionary should endeavor to meet it with Christian schools, where English should be taught, if desired. Astonishing statements were made of the eagerness among many to learn English. On "The voluntary desire of the heathen for the Gospel," and "Remarkable instances of Divine grace, as manifested in the lives of converts from heathenism," there were narrated incidents drawn from personal experience and observation of so valuable a nature, it is a pity they could not have been preserved in a permanent form. So great was the interest in some of these topics that the discussions were prolonged several hours. Even then not a tithe of the important questions was so much as touched upon. Bro. Davidson, of Japan, gave a vivid sketch of the wonderful revival which recently swept over that empire. He hoped that in fifteen years Japan will be Christian. Turkey, partially dismembered, was served one evening. Dr. Barnum, speaking of eastern Turkey, said that there was the cradle of the race. "The cradle does not need rocking, for the people are all asleep." "We jog the cradle now and then, and the occupants are beginning to open their eyes and yawn." Bro. Challis, of the Methodist mission in Bulgaria, told something of the outlook in that country. He compared the people, with their liberty-loving spirit, to Americans, and expressed firm faith that, in spite of the designs of Russia, God would overrule to give them independence and freedom.
One evening was given to addresses by missionary ladies on different phases of woman's work, and a special woman's meeting was held one afternoon. On Sabbath morning the large tabernacle was filled, when Bishop Hurst preached an excellent and inspiring sermon from "Whoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed," etc. The "mountain" was heathendom, and "whoever" was the Church, which should remove it by the power of faith. The theme was "God's day our day for the salvation of the world." The audience numbered over three thousand. The bishop also delivered, one afternoon, his excellent lecture on "Protestantism in Mexico." At the children's meeting on Sabbath afternoon there were several short and spicy talks and an exhibition of curiosities, singing in a dozen or more languages, and presentation of natives of foreign mission fields who were in attendance.
TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES INTO CHINESE.
BY REV. WILLIAM DEAN, D.D.
THE entire Bible was first translated into Chinese at Serampore by Joshua Marshman, D.D., in 1807-8, with the aid of Joannes Lassar, an Armenian, born at Macao, who was a good Chinese scholar. Dr. Marshman went out to India under the patronage of the Baptist Missionary Society of England. He was born in Wiltshire 1768, sailed for India 1799, and died at Serampore 1837, at the age of 69, having had 38 years for missionary work.
A similar translation of the entire Scriptures was made at Macao and Canton by Robert Morrison, D.D., who went to China in 1807, under the patronage of the London Missionary Society, and died at Canton 1834, at the age of 52, having 27 years of mission work in China. In addition to the Scriptures, the Chinese dictionary of Kang Hi was translated into English by him, in six quarto volumes—a great and important work, to aid subsequent missionaries in the acquisition of the Chinese language.
In Morrison's version of the Scriptures, William Milne, D.D., translated the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and Job.
Dr. Milne was born in Scotland, 1785, went to China in 1813, under the patronage of the London Missionary Society, and died 1822, at the age of 37, after nine years in the China Mission. During these few years he acquired a good knowledge of the language, had the superintendency of the Anglo-Chinese College at Malacca, performed an important part in the translation of the Scriptures, and prepared some of the best Christian tracts we have in Chinese.
He is the man who (before the committee), when asked if he would be willing to go out as an assistant to the mission, replied, "I would be willing to be a hewer of wood or a drawer of water to help to build the Lord's house;" and perhaps no man ever did so much in so short a time for the Chinese mission as William Milne, the little Scotchman.
Another translation of the Scriptures into Chinese was made by Walter H. Medhurst, D.D., and his associates, which was called the Shang Ti mission. Dr. Medhurst went out as a missionary printer, under the London Mission Society, and became a prominent preacher and writer in Chinese. He was born in London, 1796, went out, in 1816, worked efficiently 40 years for the Chinese in Batavia and China, and died on landing in England, 1856, aged 61 years.
Another version was made by Charles Gutzlaff, D.D., born at Pyritz, in Prussian Pomerania, 1803, went out under the appointment of the Netherlands Missionary Society in 1826, landed at Batavia, visited Rhio, Singapore, Siam, and finally became Chinese Secretary to the English Government of Hong Kong, where he died in 1851, at the age of 48 years.
He was a man of portly form, quick motion, rapid speech, possessed a practical knowledge of various European languages, and a ready use of the Chinese colloquial and written language for missionary work and political purposes. His hasty action was not always promotive of the nicest accuracy, and his multitudinous labors did not allow of the most finished completeness in all.
Another version of the entire Scriptures in Chinese was made by Elijah C. Bridgman, D.D., Walter M. Lowrie and M. S. Culbertson, completed at Shanghai, which uses the term Shin for rendering the words Elohim and Theos. This, in most cases, has been a distinguishing mark between the versions made by the English and American missionaries. The former mostly use Shang Ti and the latter use Shin as the term for God.
Dr. Bridgman was born in Belchertown, Mass., 1801, and went out under the American Board to China, 1830; he died at Shanghai in 1861, aged 60 years; 31 years were spent in China, and he was the first representative of the A. B. C. F. M. Society in their mission to China, and to the end was a faithful and honored missionary. Dr. Culbertson went to China in 1844, finished the translation of that version, and died the day before they commenced printing it. He went up suddenly like Elijah in the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. One of his associates reported his departure by saying, "A translator translated." Josiah Goddard made an excellent translation of the New Testament in Chinese—some think the best extant—with some portions of the Old Testament also. His mission work began with the Chinese in Siam, and ended at Ningpo, China. Dr. Goddard was born at Wendell, Mass., 1813, graduated, the first in his class, at Brown University in 1835, graduated at Newton in 1838, sailed for the East the same year under the patronage of the American Baptist Board, spent a year at Singapore in the study of Chinese, landed at Bankok in 1840, removed to Ningpo in 1848, where he died in 1854, at the age of 41, after 16 years of efficient missionary service, in translating the Scriptures and preaching the gospel to the Chinese. Some may have labored longer to do less work. Men's lives are measured, not by the years they live, but by the work they do.
William Dean published two editions of the New Testament and one edition of the Pentateuch in Chinese, with a commentary on Matthew and Mark, Genesis and Exodus. Dr. Dean was born at Eaton, N. Y., in 1807, sailed for China in 1834, labored for the Chinese in Siam till 1842, when he removed to Hong Kong; returned to Bankok in 1864, and ended his missionary work in 1887, at the age of 80. He was 50 years in the service.
In 1843 a Convention of missionaries assembled at Hong Kong, to consult with reference to a new translation of the Scriptures in Chinese. There were present Medhurst, Dyer, and Stronach, of the London Society; Bridgman, Ball and Bonney, of the American Board; Dean, Shuck and Roberts, of the American Baptist Board; Bishop Boone, of the Episcopal Mission, with others, who spent days of prayerful endeavor to harmonize on some general plan of Scripture translation.
First there was a want of agreement on the proposition to make the Textus Receptus the model of a new version. Some thought we should make the original Hebrew and Greek the standard for a new translation in Chinese. Then came up a question regarding the rendering of the terms θεος, επισκοπος, βαπτισμα, on which there was a want of harmony of sentiment, so that it proved necessary to divide the Convention into classes, or for each one to go on in his own way, and look to God for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead him to understand the meaning of the original text, and call in the help of native scholars to aid him to express it in idiomatic Chinese. In this way a number of versions, in a variety of style, have been prepared, and some portions of the Scripture have been made to harmonize with the Mandarin and the colloquial of the local dialects, and some have been Romanized, or the sounds expressed in Roman letters as used in English words, and the Chinese women taught to read them easier than to learn to read the complicated and multitudinous characters of the Chinese written language. One objection to this mode of learning to read is found in the fact, that learning to read Chinese in this way would limit the reader to one dialect or province, whereas learning to read in the Chinese way, prepares one to read in Chinese in every province, or wherever the Chinese language is written, as in Cochin China, Japan, and all over the world, where you find a Chinaman who can read his own language; the form and signification of the written character is the same, however the spoken dialect may differ.
In preparing the various translations of Scripture into Chinese, other persons, whose names are not mentioned above, have rendered important aid. Such men as J. R. Morrison, Chinese Secretary to the English Commissioner and the Government of Hong Kong; G. T. Lay, Agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and various other missionaries, such as David Abeel, James Legge, Walter Lowrie, George Smith Bishop of Victoria, and, indeed, all missionaries to the Chinese, may have contributed, in some measure, to aid in giving the written word of God to the people for whom they labored orally, and all translators have depended upon Chinese scholars for the idiom and style of the language by which the idea is expressed.
LIQUOR ON THE CONGO.
AMONGST the resolutions of the Missionary Union none deserves more persistent and prominent advocacy than that relating to the International sanction of the introduction of Rum into the Congo Free State. The extension of European Colonial possessions and protectorates in Africa means a fearful extension of the use of intoxicants in the Dark Continent. We are assured, besides, that the article furnished for the Congo is a specially vile compound prepared for that market. A representative committee of missionary societies laboring in Africa have published a pamphlet entitled "The Liquor Traffic and Native Races," to be had of the secretaries of these societies. The Bishop of London presided over a meeting in London last spring which condemned the traffic and the government protection it has received. A meeting of members of the House of Commons, held to consider the subject, resulted in the expression of their readiness to aid in suppressing this trade and of the sanction the governments give it. Public meetings have been held in Manchester and Cambridge with like result. Bishops and Archbishops, and leading men like Canon Farrar, have entered the arena to oppose this great evil, which blasts the progress of civilization and missions, and hinders the elevation of the people. Archbishop Johnson, a Negro of Lagos, west coast of Africa, and member of the Legislative Council, is appealing to Africans to circulate petitions all along the coast, and the king of Belgium, with other prominent persons, encourages this West African remonstrance to the trade. It is high time the voice of the people of America was heard on this subject. The missionary societies might very properly take the initiative in a public meeting in Boston or New York. A remonstrance should be sent to our own government, that it may feel the force of public sentiment in the case. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishop of London, have addressed the following letter to the Bishops of the British Colonies and dependencies:
"My Lord: The attention of the Church has been recently drawn to the widespread and still growing evils caused by the introduction of intoxicating liquors among the native races in the colonies and dependencies of the British Empire, and in other countries to which British trade has access. Part of the mischief is certainly due to other traders than the British, but British trade, as exceeding in volume that of many other countries put together, is mainly responsible. This mischief cannot be measured by what we witness among our own countrymen. The intemperance is far greater; the evils consequent on intemperance are far worse. Uncivilized people are weaker to resist, and are utterly unable to control temptations of this kind. The accounts given of the numbers that perish from this cause and of the misery and degradation of those who survive are painful in the extreme. And besides the grievous wrong thus inflicted on the native races, reproach has been brought on the name of Christ. The English missionary who preaches the gospel, and the English merchant who brings the fatal temptation, are inevitably associated in the minds of the heathen people, and by many not only associated, but identified. It is asserted by travelers of repute that in many parts of the world the moral character of the natives gains more by the preaching of Mohammedanism than by the preaching of the gospel, for the former tends to make them sober.
"The evils of intemperance in the British islands have, as you are well aware, long engaged the attention of the Church at home. The report of the Lower House of Convocation of the Province of Canterbury in 1869, and that of the Province of York in 1873, in each of which a large mass of evidence from every class of society was got together, had a painful effect on the public mind at the time, and they have served as trustworthy manuals on the subject ever since. The formation of the Church of England Temperance Society has organized and concentrated the efforts of those Churchmen who have been deeply impressed with the necessity of combating intemperance, and that society is daily growing in numbers and in influence. Owing to these and similar endeavors made by both Churchmen and Nonconformists, drunkenness has been and is still being diminished in these islands, and there is every reason to believe that before long public opinion will demand of the Legislature that steps should be taken to remove, wholly or partially, the temptations which now make it so difficult for weak men to lead sober lives.
"It is not for us nor for the bishops at home to suggest to your lordship or your clergy the best means for dealing with similar evils in our colonies and dependencies, and in the heathen countries in your own parts of the world. But we have felt it our duty to bring to your notice the painful accounts that have reached us, and to assure you of our warmest and most earnest sympathy with any efforts that you may see fit to make to deal with the serious difficulty. You may have the means of influencing your Legislature; you may do much to form public opinion; you can at least make it plain to all men that the Church is not, and never can be, indifferent to this great sin. In whatever you may be able to do in this matter you may be assured that the Bishops at home are supporting your action with their earnest prayers, and, where co-operation is found possible, with their most hearty co-operation."—EDWARD CANTAUR, W. EBOR, F. LONDIN.
A GENERAL MISSIONARY CONFERENCE IN LONDON IN 1888.
IN October, 1878, a General Conference on Foreign Missions was held in London. Upwards of 150 members represented nearly 40 distinct missions. Six American missionary societies were represented in the number. Much information was elicited, and considerable missionary stimulus was given.
Arrangements have been begun for the holding of another such conference in London, in 1888. Forty European Missionary Agencies are represented in the call, and the American societies are to be invited to send delegates. The Committee say that they "are most solemnly impressed with the conviction that there has never been a time, since the days of the apostles, when it was of more urgent importance than it is now, that all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity should labor 'in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace,' in order that 'the gospel of the kingdom of God' may be carried out into all the world and preached 'unto every creature.' They, therefore, entreat that earnest and continued prayer may be offered unto God by His people, that it may please Him in all things to direct their efforts, as a Committee, on behalf of the proposed Conference, and eventually to grant such an outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon its meetings, that His cause shall mightily prosper, and His name be exceedingly glorified in the ingathering of great multitudes in every part of the earth, into the kingdom of His dear Son Jesus Christ."
The Committee have classified the ends aimed at under three heads, viz.:
1st. To turn to account the experience of the past for the improvement of the methods of Missionary enterprise in the foreign field.
2d. To utilize acquired experience for the improvement of the methods for the home management of Foreign Missions.
3d. To seek the more entire consecration of the Church of God, in all its members, to the great work committed to it by the Lord.
The following Topics have been suggested for consideration, subject to modification:
I. MODES OF OPERATION IN THE FOREIGN FIELD.
1st. Self-Support and Self-Government in Native Churches.
2d. How to Educate Native Evangelists and Pastors, and to stimulate the higher life and enthusiasm of converts for the conversion of the heathen.
3d. How to adapt Missionary methods to the different states of Civilization or Barbarism among heathen nations: (a) Education. (b) Woman's Work. (c) Medical Missions, etc.
4th. How to adapt Missionary methods to the different forms of Religion among non-Christian peoples; especially those having sacred books.
5th. The providing of Christian literature for Converts in all parts of the Mission Field.
6th. The proper treatment of such questions as Polygamy, Slavery, Caste, the Marriage of Infants and of Widows, etc.
II. METHODS OF MANAGEMENT AT HOME.
1st. Comity of Missions, or their relation to one another and to their respective spheres of labor; and the apportioning unoccupied fields to different Societies.
2d. The Choice and Training of Missionaries with reference to different spheres of labor.
3d. The nature and extent of the Control to be exercised over Missions by Committees or Churches at home.
4th. Support of Missions, and Finance.
III. THE MUTUAL RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND MISSIONS.
1st. The reflex influence of Foreign Missions on Home Evangelization and Church life.
2d. The duty of Christians, in their personal and collective capacity, to obey the Lord's command to "make disciples of all nations."
IV. A POPULAR SURVEY OF THE RESULTS OF MODERN MISSIONS AND OF THE GREAT WORK WHICH REMAINS TO BE DONE IN "THE DARK PLACES OF THE EARTH."
V. THE CONSECRATION OF COMMERCE.
The Rev. James Johnston, F.S.S., has been appointed Organizing Secretary of this Conference, and has, by request of the Committee, come to the United States to secure, if possible, a good representation of the American Societies at the Conference. Dr. Johnston needs no introduction to the American churches. He was appointed to draw up the report of the Imperial Commission on Education in India, and is the author of important pamphlets, amongst which is that entitled "A Century of Protestant Missions, and the Increase of the Heathen during the Hundred Years," which has already run through an edition of several thousands. Mr. Johnston can be addressed care of Dr. Gilman, Bible House, New York.
Amongst the subjects discussed was "Methods of arousing interest in Missions among Home Churches." Rev. W. H. Belden opened this discussion with a valuable paper on "Simultaneous Missionary Meetings," and Dr. Spear spoke on "The Consecration of Wealth."
The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:
President, Rev. J. T. Gracey, D.D., Buffalo, N. Y. Vice-Presidents: Rev. Cyrus Hamlin, D.D., Rev. S. L. Baldwin, D.D., Rev. S. H. Kellogg, D.D. Secretary, Rev. C. W. Park, Birmingham, Conn. Treasurer, Rev. W. H. Belden, Bridgeton, N. J. Executive Committee: Rev. J. L. Phillips, M.D., Howard, R. I., Rev. E. R. Young, Rev. J. Mudge, Rev. M. B. Comfort, Rev. B. Helm, Rev. H. N. Cobb, D.D., Miss C. H. Daniels, M.D.
The following Resolutions were adopted during the session:
THE STUDENT MISSIONARY MOVEMENT:—Having learned that large numbers of students in the higher institutions of learning in this country and Canada are proposing to devote themselves to the Foreign Missionary work in obedience to the Saviour's last command, we wish to express our gratitude to God for this new proof of His own determination to secure the speedy coming of His kingdom among the nations.
And furthermore we wish to express the profound conviction which we have, that this uprising of laborers greatly emphasizes the responsibility of the churches at home; that it calls upon all who love the Lord to give these candidates for service a large place in their sympathies and prayers; and also to devise liberal things by their contributions, not merely for the support of a large number of new missionaries, but for greatly enlarging the sphere of missionary labor, and for speedily carrying the gospel to every creature. "How shall they believe in Him of Whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent?"
QUEEN VICTORIA'S JUBILEE—Resolved: That the International Missionary Union of different evangelical denominations do offer on this Jubilee year our sincere and hearty congratulations to Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India, on the signal prosperity, extension and glory of her reign. Some of our members saw her ascend her throne, and we would most gratefully acknowledge the great kindness and protection which we have enjoyed from officers of Her Majesty's government in America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the islands of the ocean, where we have been called to preach the gospel of Christ. And we do supplicate Almighty God to continue the bestowal of His distinguished mercies upon Her Majesty, Her Royal family, and Her wide extended domain. May grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ be and abide upon Her Majesty forevermore. Amen.
BIBLE TRANSLATION—Resolved: That this Union, having heard from Bishop Hurst of the most interesting races of Indians in Mexico now numbering eight millions, who are an honest, independent race, friendly to Protestantism, and yet who have no translation of God's word, do hereby overture the American Bible Society to take such steps as will lead to the translation and publication of the word of God in the leading dialect of this most interesting race; and that our Secretary forward a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of said Society.
ON DR. TOURJEE'S OFFER—Resolved: That the International Missionary Union, having heard of the kind offer of Dr. Tourjee, of the New England Conservatory of Music, to furnish free instruction in music to missionary candidates, and believing that both vocal and instrumental music constitute an important auxiliary in all our work among the heathen, cordially recommend to such candidates the special training of the ear and voice with a view to acquiring and improving whatever of native melody they may find in their several fields.
ON LIQUOR ON THE CONGO—Resolved: That as missionaries of the various denominations in the International Missionary Union, we protest against the wicked and disastrous policy of allowing the introduction of intoxicating liquors into the free Congo State, and that we suggest to the secretaries of all missionary societies to exert their combined influence to induce the governing powers to change their policy to one of prohibition.
ON THE OUTLOOK ABROAD—Resolved: That the members of the International Missionary Union returning to their respective fields abroad be constituted an Outlook Committee, and requested to report to the Union, through the officers, movements of promise, signals of danger to missionary interests, and tokens of cheer in foreign lands, thereby increasing the efficiency of this Union and strengthening the bond that binds us together as one in the work and hopes of the Gospel.
PROGRESS AND RESULTS-MONTHLY BULLETIN
V.-PROGRESS AND RESULTS-MONTHLY BULLETIN.
IT is a sign of great good that not one man has yet been asked by the editors to accept a close relation to this REVIEW as editorial correspondent who has not cordially responded in the affirmative. Already we have secured Dr. J. T. Gracey, Dr. Josiah Strong, Rev. D. L. Leonard, Rev. A. P. Happer, D.D., of China; Prof. W. C. Wilkinson, D.D.; Rev. Jacob Chamberlain, M.D., and Rev. John Forman, of India; Rev. and Prof. Geo. Wm. Knox, of Japan; Rev. Geo. W. Chamberlain, of Brazil; Rev. J. Hudson Taylor and Mr. Reginald Radcliffe, of China Inland Mission, and Rev. H. H. Jessup, D.D., of Syria. We expect to enlarge this list until we shall have at least one competent correspondent in every great missionary land in the world.
The Eighth Annual Convention of the Inter-Seminary Missionary Alliance was held in Alexandria, Va., Oct. 27-30, 1887, and addressed by Rev. J. E. Grammer, D.D., and Rev. F. M. Ellis, D.D., of Baltimore; Rev. Jos. Packard, D.D., of the Theological Seminary; Rev. R. A. Goodwin of Petersburg, Va.; Rev. Wm. E. Griffis, D.D., of Boston; Rev. H. A. Nelson, D.D., and Rev. A. T. Pierson, D.D., of Philadelphia, and Rev. G. W. Chamberlain of Brazil. Papers of a high order of excellence were also read by Messrs. T. J. Villiers of Rochester, E. R. Chadwick of Bates Seminary, Isaac I. Gorby of Union, Benson Sewall of Bangor, Robert I. Fleming of Garrett, D. A. Murray of Princeton. So earnest, prayerful and consecrated a body of young men is not often brought together. We look for great results.
AFRICA.
—Cairo. The University of El Azhar. Dr. E. W. Blyden differs from Gen. Haig, in thinking the Mohammedans very active in propagation of Islamism among the Nigritian and Soudanic tribes.
—Madagascar. In the capital, Antananarivo, the Protestant school has 2,387 pupils. . . . The Queen recently attended the opening services of two Christian churches at Ambokimanaga. In fourteen years 700 Protestant chapels have been built in Madagascar, making the number now 1,200. There are 8,000 Protestant communicants, and all the churches are self-supporting. In the Protestant school at Antananarivo 2,387 children are in attendance.
The statement made in the Roman Catholic Review that the German government would allow but one missionary society (the R. Cath.) in its East African territory cannot be correct. From three societies seven missionaries have already gone to Zanzibar.
—Soudan. Emin Pasha pleads for British sway over the equatorial provinces of the Soudan. The missionaries unite in the plea. It is thought it would be a death-blow to the slave trade. Stanley's force found E. Pasha on the south shore of Albert Nyanza, and in health.
—Congo Baptist Missions. Rev. T. J. Comber, the courageous, untiring pioneer, so useful and so beloved, who was penetrating toward the interior, died on board the "Lulu Bohlen," while anchored off the Loango.
An Evangelical German East African Missionary Society has just been formed in Berlin, "to preach the German evangelical faith, and prepare the way for the introduction of German civilization into East Africa, where this year only Englishmen and Frenchmen have been at work." Whether the primary object is the advancement of Christianity or of German civilization does not yet appear.
—Professor Stewart, of Liberia, says it is estimated that for every missionary that goes to Africa 70,000 gallons of liquor are sent to that country. Who shall estimate the wretchedness and degradation of an African heathen under the power of rum and tobacco? And what a greed for blood the liquor dealers must have who, not content with killing 70,000 human beings in this country, extend their work of destruction across the sea!—Cent. Presbyterian.
CHINA.
—Nankin. The North China News states that a benevolent gentleman in the United States has subscribed $300,000 for the establishment of a university at Nankin. It is hoped that the amount will be increased by contributions to $500,000. Several missionaries are interested in the undertaking, which promises to be of great advantage to China, and incidentally to the cause of missions in that empire.
—Dr. Happer returns to China, having secured $100,000 for his Christian college, and $5,000 more toward endowment. He finds it hard, however, to get the money subscribed fast enough to go on with the buildings.
—Dr. Williams, after thirty-two years in China, thinks that half a century more of Christian missions will evangelize and even Christianize the Empire. Mr. Burlingame testifies that intelligent men of China put no faith in popular religions; and Dr. Bartlett adds that "this Gibraltar of Pagandom may become its Waterloo."
—A Christian missionary, on entering a new field in China, was kindly received by the Mandarin, who promised to do all in his power to help him. "I have not heard your doctrine," said he, "but I have seen it. I have a servant who was a perfect devil, but since he received your doctrine he is another man, and I can now trust him."
—The New Version of the New Testament prepared by Rev. Griffith Jone, of Hankow, is said to be superior to any other, and it is confidently expected that it will be adopted as a basis of a union version for all China. Such a book will be in a language spoken and understood by three hundred millions of people. Unlike India, China has really but one language, and if once the Bible were satisfactorily translated into that language the result may be something such as the world has never before witnessed. The book has worked wonders before. It will doubtless work wonders again.
—Tientsin. Mrs. Bryson says: "Some little time ago we commenced a special service for women at three o'clock on Sunday afternoons in the rooms used as a class-room for Mrs. King's medical school in Tientsin. We are getting regularly from twenty to thirty women and a large number of girls. The service takes the shape of a Sunday-school, our older and more intelligent members teaching the others. The women seem to be much interested in the service, and I trust that God's blessing will rest upon it."
—The Spirit of Missions of the Protestant Episcopal Church for October states that "the Chinese Governor of the large island of Formosa, in starting a College, has chosen a missionary to inaugurate and organize the institution. Such a step would have been regarded as a miracle one generation ago."
—"The North China Herald" of Sept. 10 publishes in a letter from Tientsin, where the great statesman of China, Li Hung-chang, has his official residence, the following statement, viz.: "A letter was recently addressed to Mr. Smithers, the American Consul of this place, requesting that he should see H. E. Li Hung-chang in regard to the location of the College which Dr. Happer is laboring to establish at Nankin, and requests His Excellency to memorialize the throne on the subject, giving all the particulars, that the future institution might also have imperial cognizance. As the Chinese are always partial to knowledge and learning, the Viceroy readily assented to the proposal. But he requested that, as the institution was to be founded at Nankin, the parties should address a written petition to the Viceroy at Nankin on the subject, and also present a copy to him, after which they would jointly memorialize the Emperor on the subject."
—In Canton, with its 1,500,000 inhabitants, are now opened fifteen Christian chapels, where the missionaries and the native ministers preach the gospel not on the Sabbath day only, but daily, and from two to four hours each day, to audiences varying from fifty to several hundred. After the sermon, Chinese evangelists continue the services. Free conversations and discussions follow; rooms are at hand for private conferences, and Christian books and tracts are kept in readiness and disposed of in large numbers. The preaching halls are thronged during the hottest months—July, August and September—and from noon until three o'clock—the hottest part of the day. Tens of thousands of visitors to the city have heard the gospel in these chapels and have carried it hundreds of miles into the interior. The missionary encounters these in the most remote places on his inland tours, and sometimes listens with surprise while they repeat the substance of the discourses which they have heard. The dialect used by most of the missionaries, in preaching, is the Pun-ti, or pure Cantonese, by which they have access to twenty millions of people.
FRANCE, in order simply to be prepared to cope with other nations, has within five years built 45,000 school-houses, at a cost of $80,000,000! What might not Christian America and England accomplish for missions, if the opportunity were appreciated! It is said that if a rod 71 inches long represents the income of the Presbyterian Church, one inch would stand for their gifts!
—McAll Mission in Paris. The attendance at the services has increased largely during the past year, although the number of stations remains the same. The McAll Mission Record says: "The missionary schooner 'Annie' having again been placed at the disposal of the Mission, a very interesting campaign was organized on the coasts of Brittany. Of this work Mr. McAll writes in a private letter: 'Brittany, so long supposed to be completely enthralled by Popish teachings, is now evidently open for the proclamation of the Gospel, and the people—a race much resembling the Welsh in many things, as well as origin—are kindly disposed. To them the message of divine love comes as a new and strange discovery, in contrast with the almost idolatrous ritual to which alone they have been accustomed.'"
JAPAN.
—Rev. George Wm. Knox, of Tokio, writes: "In the Tokio First Presbytery, the additions on profession of faith were more than 240 during the six months previous to April 1, an increase of 15 per cent. In the Tokio Second Presbytery over a hundred adults had been baptized. He himself took a trip of 250 miles to the north. At Sendai, the most influential city in the north, the Miyagi Presbytery was organized with five churches. Large meetings were held in the theatre, and most attentive and respectful congregations were present. Similar meetings were held for lectures at three other towns en route, and in all much interest was manifested. Opposition seems to have died away, and the best part of the people unite in saying that Christianity is a necessity for the further development of Japan."
—Tadmor in the Desert, or Palmyra, City of Palms, is a beautiful type of the Church of God among the gentiles, a historic parable of foreign missions. A great stretch of wilderness lay between Jerusalem and Babylon, arid, barren, without rest or food. King Solomon, Prince of Peace, had the pure water from the springs on the high hills conducted along the plains, and made "rivers in the desert," a very Elim for palm trees and springs of water, and called it "the City of Palms." It was a new Jerusalem transported into the wilderness, and making it blossom as a rose, providing a rest and a refreshment for the hungry, thirsty, weary pilgrim. What a figure of what the true Prince of Peace is doing to-day in the wilds of pagan lands!—bringing the streams from celestial springs to turn the deserts of sin into the Palmyra of Pilgrims.
—London Missionary Society. In fifty years the communicants in the missions have increased from 6,615 to 70,561, and the native preachers from 451 to 7,168.
—The Moravians have an important mission on the Moskito Coast, Central America, among a mixed population of Indians, Creoles and Spaniards. Begun in 1849, down to 1881 it had been quite successful, there being at the beginning of that year about a thousand communicants. A great awakening occurred, and all classes were most deeply moved. Bands of Indians at work in the forest, away from the mission stations, were seized by an overpowering conviction of sin, children at the stations knelt and prayed for forgiveness, and an almost universal awakening followed. It seemed to come spontaneously; it continued without special effort of the missionaries, and there was great excitement, which the missionaries labored to subdue as much as possible. The result of the revival was the adding of 1,500 or more to the list of communicants. Tested by time, conversions proved genuine; few have fallen away. A spirit of consecration possesses the older members, and the field of mission work is greatly extended. The natives no longer say that God does not love the poor Indian as he loves the white man, but rejoice in the revival as a special manifestation of God's grace toward them. Not a few heathen and dissolute characters were thoroughly converted and reformed.—Independent.
—The statistics of Presbyterian missions from the report of 1886 show the total number of communicants in the mission churches to be 20,294. This shows a gain during the last decade of nearly 136½ per cent.
—Some statistics appear in a recent issue of the Siglo XIX, of the City of Mexico, which will surprise many who regard an acquaintance with the Spanish language as merely an accomplishment. That it is of great use is proved by the tables submitted and the growth of our commercial relations with Mexico and South America. English is found to be spoken by 87,000,000 of people throughout the world; Spanish by 63,690,000; German by 53,000,000, and French by 43,000,000. Thus Spanish is second in importance, as a commercial language, being the only means of communication with a large percentage of the population of the earth. We must, however, take into account the fact that a larger part of them are of inferior importance to the bulk of the population of the United States, and of the other countries; yet it still holds that a vast extent of territory exists in which nothing but Spanish is spoken.
MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS
VI.-MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
VI.-MONTHLY CONCERT OF MISSIONS.
THE following letter is from Dr. James L. Phillips, Chaplain State Institutions, Howard, R. I., a medical missionary "from Midnapore, Bengal, India, now at home on furlough, but earnestly hoping to return to his work abroad, in which it has pleased God to grant him 17 years, and very happy years, too."
REV. ARTHUR T. PIERSON, D.D.:
Dear Brother—I learn that you are to take up and carry on Mr. Wilder's Missionary Review, and I am delighted to know this. From the first number I've read it eagerly, and have done what I could to introduce it to friends in Europe and India. I most earnestly hope that by God's blessing upon your labors it may continue to hold its high place as a thoroughly independent, undenominational, faithful and fearless review of all missionary enterprises, home and foreign. So far as I know, it stands without a peer, in its own special province, in Christendom.
I should like to know the plans for the future conduct of the REVIEW, with a view to getting our pastors to subscribe. Some of our people have been taking it from the first, but hundreds more ought to.
Could you devote space in THE REVIEW to the Monthly Concert of Prayer for Missions, which has fallen into sad neglect during these 20 years? I am continually hearing of Congregational and Presbyterian churches—the two churches that observed it most faithfully years ago, when I was a student in this country—that do not even have the Missionary Concert. In this State the Baptists are keeping it up, I think, better than any other church.
My proposition is: Let THE MISSIONARY REVIEW consult with The Gospel in All Lands, and draw up a Programme for the Missionary Concerts of 1888, so that our pastors may have ample time to read up and be ready. As dear Dr. Duff used to say, "the hitch is with the pastors." What an added power we should gain in all our missionary work, at home and abroad, could we establish, and faithfully sustain, in our American churches such a grand CONCERT OF PRAYER, by taking up each month the same general topic, and instructing, interesting and inspiring our congregations with it! I cannot doubt that British Christians would join us in this good movement, for they have held up the monthly concert better than we have in America. Could we not have something like the International Sunday-school lesson—the same verses of Scripture studied in many lands and languages? For months these and kindred thoughts have been revolving in my mind; and the reading of such books as your noble "Crisis of Missions" only adds fuel to the fire already kindled. If there be a work in which sect-lines must more and more disappear, it is this great work of the world's evangelization. Christians must come into close fellowship with Christ, be more loyal to His government by keeping His great and last commission, before the "greater things" he spoke of can appear. Believe me, my dear sir,
Yours, with high esteem and very sincerely,
JAS. L. PHILLIPS.
This letter was followed by another from the editor of Gospel in All Lands:
NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 1887.
My Dear Dr. Pierson—I have just learned that you will have charge of the Monthly Concert Department of THE MISSIONARY REVIEW. I have been arranging the topics for the Monthly Concerts for 1888 to be treated in Missionary World and Gospel in All Lands, and a letter from Dr. J. L. Phillips urges me to see if Gospel in All Lands and MISSIONARY REVIEW cannot agree on topics for next year. I propose those on the enclosed paper. Several are the same as those adopted by the Presbyterians North and South.
EUGENE R. SMITH.
1888.
January—The World.
February—China.
March—Mexico, Central America.
April—India.
May—Burmah, Siam and Laos.
June—Africa.
July—Islands of the Sea, North American Indians, Chinese and Japanese in America, etc.
August—Italy and Papal Europe.
September—Japan and Korea.
October—Turkey and Persia.
November—South America.
December—Syria.
[The above arrangement will be adopted.—EDITORS.]
THE WORLD FIELD.
IN looking at the great field of missions, we are first of all overwhelmed with its vastness. We talk of continents as covered with the death shade, but how vague are the terms we use.
Let us take Connecticut as the unit of measurement, with its area of 4,700 square miles. It is contained in Dakota 47 times, and Japan is about as large as Dakota. And now we begin to get some definite conception of the Island Empire of the Rising Sun that is just now attracting the attention of the world by changes so radical and revolutionary that the like have never before been seen.
But Japan, large as it is, is very small in comparison with other heathen and pagan lands. Japan could be contained in India 10 times, and even India could be contained nearly three times in China; or, to be more accurate, you might carve out of China two empires like India, and have left enough to make seven more like Japan, or three hundred and thirty like Connecticut. And yet out of Africa you might construct China and two Indias besides!
Next we are impressed with the vastness of the vacancies where as yet no gospel light has shone. Great districts that are themselves empires have never yet been approached by the heralds of the Cross. When Samuel Hebich reached Calicut in 1834, the whole coast from Bombay to Cochin was as yet unoccupied, and looking inland, Bangalore, Bellary, Belgaum were the nearest stations, each between one and two hundred miles distant. When Robert Moffat landed in Africa, in 1817, the greater part of that Continent's interior had never been trodden by a white man's foot. And even as lately as Stanley's passage across the continent, ten years ago this summer, he came out at Banana, at the Congo's mouth, having, since he left Zanzibar, seven thousand miles distant, seen no man who had ever heard the gospel! About the same time two missionaries of the China Inland mission went from Bahmo in Upper Burmah to Chun-King, in China, one thousand miles, without finding one gospel station.
A third thing that impresses us is the wonder-working of God in connection with the history of modern missions. The days of supernatural signs in the church were the days during which the church was one great evangelistic body. When evangelism began to decline, the dark ages came rapidly on; and only since evangelical faith was revived and the church reformed, and so prepared again to take up the work of world-wide missions, have the days of manifest supernatural influence returned. We do not hesitate to say that the history of modern missions is a history of modern miracles—manifest workings of divine power, as convincing in their way and as peculiarly adapted to the present age as any miracles wrought in the days of the apostles. Single men, like Robert Moffat in Africa, Robert Morrison in China, John Williams in the South Seas, Wm. Johnson in Sierra Leone, Zeisberger and Duncan among the Indians, have been permitted to see results that as plainly show the hand of God as when the paralytic took up his bed and walked, or Lazarus came forth in grave-clothes.
A fourth impression is made upon us by the long study of missions, viz., that if a man or woman wants to make the capital of life yield the largest interest, here is an investment worthy the full engrossment of all the aims and powers of manhood and womanhood. To some, a life given to Christ in the great field of foreign missions means a life buried, wasted, thrown away. And it is so, if the standards of the world as to money-making, selfish indulgence, aspiring ambition and worldly emolument are to be taken as the measure of success or failure. But if a higher point of view is once got and held from which to survey life, it is not so.
Follow Moffat in his fifty years of consecrated toil, the apostle of Africa. Not only did he lead the way as an explorer, even for the heroic Livingstone, but he translated the Bible into the Bechuana tongue, dialects of which, varying but little, are spoken over almost the whole of the Dark Continent south of the equator! We have no proof that to any person it was ever given to render into Saxon the whole of the Scriptures. Bede was engaged on "John" when he died; Wickliffe and Coverdale had helpers. But Robert Moffat was permitted to translate the whole word of God into the pagan tongue of South Africa—an achievement which, had he done no other service, puts him among the most distinguished of the world's benefactors.
But Moffat is but one among a host of men and women whose lives have shaped the destiny of whole continents. The quiet work of the preachers and teachers at Beirut is permeating not only Syria but the whole Arabic-speaking world. Bishop Taylor in Africa, leaning only on God, going almost single-handed among the most barbarous tribes, and making the very chiefs tributary to his mission work; Dr. Clough among the Teloogoos, baptizing ten thousand in less than two months, and breaking down caste in his noble schools; Royal G. Wilder, "burying himself" among the heathen, that in thirty years he might preach in 3,000 villages and cities, scatter three million pages of tracts and gather 3,300 boys and girls into Christian schools—these are examples of "wasted life." If so, let our lives be wasted. Such a buried life becomes the seed of a harvest that neither time can measure nor man estimate.
II. SUGGESTIVE PARAGRAPHS.
The first Protestant sermon preached west of the Mississippi was preached by Samuel J. Mills, the father of the American Board. Desiring to get out of this "pinhole," he went abroad. He had before said: "I cannot suffer my influence to be limited by Atlantic, Mississippi, great lakes, or gulf."
Miss Tucker (A. L. O. E.) went to India as a missionary, leaving the field of authorship for the comparatively obscure field of mission work. Judge Tucker, of Futtepoor, was her brother. He served long in India, giving to missions $200 per month. To those who remonstrated as to his liberality, he replied: "Here are 86,000,000 adult population; 5,000 die daily; every day's delay means 5,000 souls!" At the entrance to the station he had four stone tablets erected. On two, the Ten Commandments; on two, John iii: 14-18. After the duties of his office were fulfilled, he preached Jesus. "If every hair were a life," said he, "I would give them all to Him." He fell in 1857, at the hands of the mutineers. On his sitting-room walls were inscribed: "Fear God," "Love your enemies," "Prepare for death."
The gospel is still foolishness to the Greek. He mistakes the twilight of the morning for the twilight of the evening; what light he sees in the gospel he thinks is the last lingering, fading ray of a declining day, instead of the precursor of a splendid noon.
Post-mortem Gifts. "Father was wont, at this season of the year, to look with great anticipation to the great missionary anniversaries. I desire to act as his steward and pay in his behalf his ordinary annual contribution, which I enclose."
"W. E. D."
"SACRIFICE IS GOLD IN HEAVEN."
Bishop William Taylor: "I feel such a yearning in my soul to help the Lord Jesus to convert this world, that I would gladly be multiplied into a thousand workmen, and then live a thousand years to help on this work."
John Wesley loved to scatter every penny above his scanty necessary outlay. In 1782, his income was £361 19s. (about $1,820); of this he spent for clothing some $30, and gave away the entire remainder with his own hands. His book steward the same year, by his directions, gave away $1,185 more. At the end of his days Wesley wrote: "For upwards of 86 years I have kept my accounts exactly. I will not attempt it any longer, being satisfied with the continual conviction that I save all I can and give all I can—that is, all I have. I never put sixpence out at interest since I was born; nor had I ever a hundred pounds together, my own, since I came into this world." He regarded riches as a "necessary evil," a "serious danger."
A very fine article on Foreign Missions may be found in "Appleton's Encyclopedia," from the pen of an eminent writer.
There is needed a far larger recognition on the part of Christians of the duty of a personal instead of a proxy evangelization. "You see the day is past when the Church could say, 'Silver and gold have I none,'" said Innocent IV. complacently to St. Thomas of Aquinum, as he pointed to the masses of treasure which were being carried into the Vatican. "Yes, holy father," was the saint's reply, "and the day is also past when she could say to the paralytic, 'Take up thy bed and walk.'" It is not simply gathered treasure, whether of gold, or of social position, or of culture, which can make the Church able for her duty, disarm distrust of her among all classes, and fill her with power for the compelling of the millennium. It is scattered treasure which will do it. It is as each one of her members does and keeps doing his share and hers of the priestly ministry of personal interest and invitation. Why should you be willing to sit in one corner of your empty pew on Sunday? Why should you not be restless until even from the highways and hedges you have compelled them to come in—shown by divine deed that God's house is for all, and at least done your share toward the disarming of any possible distrust?—Dr. Wayland Hoyt.
It is never safe to make an exception a rule of conduct. One of the best illustrations of this fact was given by the Rev. Dr. Lorimer, during the Minneapolis meetings, in a little dialogue, which, if not veritable, is certainly suggestive. Talking with a man who had professed to be converted, a minister said: "Have you joined the church?" "No; the dying thief did not join the church, and he went to heaven." "Have you talked to your neighbors?" "No; the dying thief did not talk to his neighbors, and he went to heaven." "Have you given anything to missions?" "No; the dying thief never gave anything, and he went to heaven." "Well, my friend, it seems to me the difference is that he was a dying thief, and you are a living thief."
France: The Paris City Mission, started at the time of the Exhibition in 1878, in 1880 fairly commenced work with a staff of three missionaries, subsequently increased to 13. Latterly, funds have failed, and the number has been reduced to six. The income has ranged at different times from $3,200 to $3,600. One-third of this money is raised by pastors and congregations in connection with which the missionaries labor; the rest by private subscription.
India: Bengal.—Ten native young men have responded to the call for missionaries to preach to the Bengali coolies in Fiji.
Ahmednuggur.—It is said that the A. B. C. F. M. is going to establish there a college to train young men in English.
Japan: The first Japanese missionary student to the Basle Mission is Geusi-Igutsi, who was instructed and baptized (John) in China. The missionaries who have had opportunities of closely observing him have great confidence in him.
Korea: There is a call for a woman to work among the native women, and the government will encourage schools, though open preaching of the gospel is yet somewhat restricted.
North American Indians: At the late Indian Conference at Mohawk Lake, it was said that the effect of the recent orders of the Indian Bureau forbidding the use of any other language but English in the native schools would close some twelve to twenty Dakota schools where native teachers are at work. Another order stops the government boarding-school children from coming to Sunday-school! What do such orders mean?
Palestine: The opposition of the Turkish Government to the Mission Schools in Palestine, so far as the education in them of Mohammedan children is concerned, has culminated in an order from Constantinople forbidding the attendance of Moslems altogether; and one father has been thrown into prison for sending his child to a Mission School.
Persia: Persia has had a remarkable spiritual awakening, beginning with the Week of Prayer. The revival extends to several villages. Many lukewarm Christians were greatly revived, and sinners of all grades, young and old, converted. Places of worship have been found too small to accommodate the crowds. Mr. Labaree, of Oroomiah, reported the work still progressing and spreading. In several towns there are from twenty to forty, and even sixty inquirers.
Scotland: Free Church of Scotland sends out 109 missionary workers, of whom 30 are laymen and 30 women.
Syria: Beirut.—Two young men, members of the Senior class in the college, offer themselves to African missions. Dr. Jessup commends them highly. They have taken all the deprivations and difficulties into account, and make no stipulation as to the nature of their work or the amount of their pay. Their familiarity with Arabic would be of great help.
Thibet: The United Brethren have recently established a station at Leh, the chief town of Ladak, or Middle Thibet, a province of Cashmere. Many persons who at Kyelang have been brought to the knowledge of the truth have returned to Leh. Permission to reside there was given to these missionaries by the maharajah, at the request of the Marquis of Ripon. The town is situated in a fine, open valley, surrounded by lofty mountains, and is close upon 11,300 feet above the level of the sea. The winter has been spent here by Mr. and Mrs. Redslob and their family, who, by reason of the climate of this elevated station, have had much sympathy with the ice-bound missionaries of Labrador and Greenland.
III.—MISSIONARY TEXTS AND THEMES.
The field is the world.—Matt. xiii: 38.
1. World-wide extent, and the period, all time.
2. Two kinds of seed, the word and the children of the kingdom.
3. The harvest is to be sure and abundant.—Is. lv: 13.
4. The results will be rapid and marvellous.—Amos ix: 13.
5. All mainly depends on prayer.—Matt. ix: 38.
"Missions, Past and Prospective." In the "Bampton Lectures" by Anthony Grant, 1843, the following is the outline of the argument:
1. The adequacy and tendency of the gospel to gain universal sway. Its adaptation to mankind at large is contrasted with other religions, as adapted to a limited area; there is not one so much better than others as to pay to attempt to propagate it extensively; and when this is done it is only as a defensive measure to prevent decline.
2. The Universality of the Message and tendency to unity. He well says that "The gospel is not to be in all places at all times, nor in all places at one time; but in some place at all times and in all places at some time."
3. Christianity is not a spiritual influence on the soul of man, solely; but rather a spiritual and visible institution in which souls are gathered unto the Lord and nourished unto eternal life. Body, soul and spirit benefited. The gospel is communicated through external and visible system, which is threefold, viz.: 1. The conveyance of spiritual blessings. 2. The education of man as a social being. 3. The perpetuating and propagating of truth.
The New Testament contemplates both voluntary and commissioned agents for preaching, combining the authoritative teaching of the Church with that of the written Word of God.
Preaching, teaching, living, are to go together: Non magna loquimur, sed vivimus.
"There is no question as to whether or not missions are binding upon Christians. Missionary effort is not a matter of choice but of obligation. Indeed, it is as much an obligation as baptism or the Lord's Supper. Christ gave very few detailed instructions for the guidance of his Church. He left her policy to be shaped by the Holy Spirit. But one definite injunction He did give, and that his last as the risen Saviour: "Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." This is not merely a commission for baptism. It is the outline of a policy—the missionary policy of the Church. It presents to us a command, a duty, a statement of the principal object of the Church's existence; with the encouraging promise, in view of the immense obligation, of power commensurate with the task—"Lo, I am with you alway." Missions are not optional. "Make disciples of all nations," is as binding as "This do in remembrance of me."
The Chinese are proverbially dull when first reached by the story of the gospel. Yet one woman in Shanse, though a cripple, came a long distance for a second visit to the missionary, and when asked what she remembered from the previous Sunday's talk, replied: "I am old, and my head is thick, and I have no memory. I only remember two things: That God is my Father in heaven, and that his Son Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins."
STATISTICS OF THE WORLD'S MISSIONS
VII.-STATISTICS OF THE WORLD'S MISSIONS.
British Contributions to Missions in 1885. Rev. W. H. Scott Robertson has summarized and analyzed them as follows: Grand total, including dividends, interest and rents, $7,936,870, an advance over 1884 of $71,990. He includes Roman Catholic contributions, $33,440. It appears from his tables that the Christian world raises over $11,000,000 a year for Protestant Missions, while Romish Foreign Missions receive but $1,325,850, little over one-eighth of that sum. (Missionary Review, Feb., 1887.)
—While the Church of England in 25 years has spent on Foreign Missions $50,000,000, seven times that amount has been spent on Home enlargements, improvements, etc. From a careful examination of the statistics of Christian Missions, the Quarterly Review states that during eight years the ordained missionaries from Protestant Christendom have increased fifty per cent., and the total income seventy per cent.
—Foreign Missions in 1885-1886, as reported in Wilder's Statistical Tables:
| No. of Societies |
102 |
| European Ministers |
40,371 |
| American " |
83,420 |
| Total |
123,791 |
| Year's gain |
1,703 |
| Home Communicants (Europe) |
16,934,077 |
| " (Am.) |
11,856,134 |
| Total |
28,790,211 |
| Year's gain |
53,564 |
| Year's growth in Communicants |
386,958 |
| Less than last year by |
51,772 |
| Foreign Miss. Income |
$10,297,238 |
| Year's loss |
74,463 |
| Whole cost of administration |
830,000 |
| Year's increase |
21,355 |
| Per cent. of income |
8.78 |
| Increase in percentage |
.98 |
| Workers from Christendom (ordained) |
3,035 |
| Year's gain |
60 |
| Workers (laymen) |
1,167 |
| Increase |
435 |
| Workers (women) |
2,444 |
| Increase |
24 |
| Total workers from Christendom |
6,647 |
| Native workers (ordained) |
3,307 |
| " (not ordained) |
30,293 |
| Year's increase of native workers |
1,890 |
| Total No. of workers |
40,246 |
| Native communicants |
950,162 |
| Year's increase |
148,134 |
| Per cent. of increase |
18.74 |
These tables, of course, only approximate the truth. But some things in them are noteworthy. 1. The year's growth in communicants at home was nearly 52,000 less than the previous years (1884-5), and only 1.35 per cent.; abroad it was nearly 150,000, and nearly 19 per cent.
2. The total of workers has risen from 37,837 to 40,246, but still all Christendom sends but 6,647, while the native churches provide 33,600, five times as many. Christendom sends one out of every 4,332 members to the field; the native churches give one out of every 28! At that rate Christendom would have to-day one million workers in the foreign field, or one to every 850 of the unevangelical population of the globe!
—"The Independent" takes note that Dr. Daniel Dorchester has just made a fresh study of statistics, which are not specially flattering:
The total yearly receipts from all our American Home and Foreign Missionary Societies in 1850 were $1,232,123; in 1860, $2,525,549; in 1870, $4,225,952; in 1880, $5,939,845. Since 1880 the average amount has been about $7,000,000 yearly. The increase has thus been large, being four-fold for Foreign Missions and six-fold for Home Missions in the thirty years from 1850 to 1880.
But when we come to count the members of the Protestant churches we have a different story. The number of church members are given by Dr. Dorchester as having been 3,529,988 in 1850; 5,240,554 in 1860; 6,673,396 in 1870, and 10,065,963 in 1880. Now, assuming these figures to be correct, we have 35 cents per member given in 1850 for Home and Foreign Missions, 48 cents in 1860, 63 cents in 1870, and 59½ cents in 1880. In the last period there has been a falling off, and there has been no adequate increase since 1860. It must be that there is an immense number of church members reported who give absolutely nothing for missions; and it must be that the interest of those who do give is much less than it should be. An average of less than sixty cents in a year is vastly less than what ought to be given.
But when we come to the property test, the case is still worse. Supposing the church members to have just an average amount of the wealth of the country (we do not doubt they have more), in 1850 they gave to missions one and one-tenth mills to each dollar of their property; in 1860 this sum was reduced to nine-tenths of a mill; in 1870 to eight-tenths, and in 1880 to six and a half tenths of a mill. Thus we see that while the total gifts have increased five times, the amount given by each converted dollar has been reduced nearly one-half. This is very far from a creditable showing, and proves that not near as much sacrifice is made for the cause of missions as forty years ago.
The one great duty of the Church is to convert the world to Jesus Christ. Are the effort and the self-denial adequate which give sixty cents a member per year, and two-thirds of one-tenth of one per cent. of property?
—Foreign Missionary Organizations raised last year in the United States $3,898,944. The total gain in communicants was 22,069.—Wilder's Tables.
—Since the Methodist Board of Church Extension began its work, in the year 1865, it has helped to build 5,805 churches. It has collected and disbursed nearly $3,000,000.
—Presbyterian Growth. From the narrative of the state of religion to the last Assembly we learn that the additions to the membership during the year were over 52,000 on examination and 29,000 on certificate—the most fruitful year in the Church's history. The Boards received $1,915,987. Foreign Missions had the largest receipts ever known in the history of the Church, $784,157.59. Of this the Women's Boards contributed $248,649.50. The growth of the contributions of the latter is a remarkable exhibit of what can be done by "organizing the littles." In 1871 they reported $7,000. This amount has gone up by the following strides during subsequent years: $27,000, $64,000, $87,000, $96,000, $115,000, $124,000, $136,000, $170,000, $176,000, $178,000, $193,000, $204,000, $224,000, $248,000.
—Moravians have a noble missionary record. During the last century 25,000 of them have been sent to "the regions beyond," while $300,000 have been expended yearly, and nine vessels been kept busy in the interests of missions. This small band of disciples may well put us all to the blush by their sanctified liberality and self-consecration.
—Roman Catholics in China.—The Chinese Recorder gathers from a table of statistics of Roman Catholic missions the following facts: "There are in the various provinces of China 483,403 Catholic Christians, 471 European missionaries, 281 native priests, 2,429 churches and chapels, 1,779 colleges and schools, with 25,219 scholars, and 33 seminaries and 654 seminarists. In Corea, Japan, Manchuria, Mongolia and Thibet there are 130 European and 15 native priests, 227 churches and chapels, and 77,254 Catholic Christians. In the Indo-China peninsula there are 694,286 Catholics, and in India 1,185,538 Catholics. The grand total for these Asiatic countries is 2,440,486 Catholics, 2,639 missionaries and native priests, 7,293 churches and chapels, 4,469 colleges and schools, with 112,359 scholars, and 76 seminaries, with 2,746 seminarists. These countries are divided into 67 vicariates apostolic and 4 prefectures apostolic. Six of these vicariates are worked by the Jesuits. Most of them, however, are under the charge of missionaries of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris and the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Milan."
—There are 40,000 Wild Indian Children in this country. Of this number, all told, there are but 12,000 gathered in the Government and Mission schools, leaving 28,000 children to whom no school opens its door, and to whom no Christian missionary comes. There are at least sixty whole tribes upon whose darkness no ray of Gospel light has ever fallen, as pagan and as savage as were their ancestors when the first white man landed upon these shores!
—Perhaps the power of God has been manifest in the islands of the Pacific more than in any other part of the world. In the Sandwich Islands one pastor baptized 12,000 converts in 45 years. In the group of islands called the Philippine, the Society, the Friendly and the Caroline, the natives were savages and cannibals of the worst type; but they have exchanged their savage life for the life inspired by the gospel of Christ; and in those groups of islands there are nearly 200,000 native Christians. In the Fiji Islands, also formerly a centre of cannibalism, out of a population of 120,000 all but one-seventh are said to be attending the Wesleyan meetings, and the most of the remainder belong to other meetings; so that church-going there is quite universal.
—The Salvation Army, entering India five years ago, has now 120 English and 80 native missionaries.
—The Imperial Academy of Sciences has recently completed the publication of a translation of the New Testament into the language of the Calmucks. This, it is said, is the first attempt to make known to the Calmucks the text of the Christian Gospels. The initiative is due to the British Bible Society, by which the work of translation was confided to Prof. Pozneieff, of the Chair of Mongol and Calmuck Literature in the University of St. Petersburg. Two hundred copies have been sent to Astrachan and sold to the converted Calmucks of that province. The rest have been sent abroad for distribution in Asia by European missionaries.—St. Petersburg Dispatch to the London Times.
—The Australian Church, under the direction of the Bishop of Sydney, has resolved upon the establishment of missions in the English portions of New Guinea, which portion is about equal in size to the whole of Great Britain. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel has appropriated £5,000 to aid the work.
—The "Ragged Sunday-schools" in London have 40,000 scholars and 4,000 teachers. Its president was the late and honored Lord Shaftesbury. His son succeeds him in the work. The income of the society, consisting wholly of voluntary contributions, amounts to $80,000 per annum.
—There are 400 Mormon bishops in Utah, 2,423 priests, 2,947 teachers, and 6,854 deacons. Salt Lake City is divided into wards of eight or nine blocks each, and a bishop is put in charge of each ward. Under him are two teachers, whose business is to learn the employment and income of every resident of the ward and report the same to the bishop. Then the bishop collects the tenth of each man's income and turns it in to the church authorities. The Mormons are as adept as the Roman Catholics in getting their hands into the pockets of believers.
—Two hundred and fifty millions of women depend for the Gospel upon the women of the Protestant Churches of America. Nine-tenths of the contributions to foreign missions are given by one-tenth of the church membership, while only one-half of the membership give anything. The average amount per member is fifty cents per annum—only the seventh part of a cent per day for the conversion of a thousand millions of people. An average of five cents a week from every member of the Protestant churches of the United States would bring into the treasury during a single year $16,500,000. Ninety-eight per cent. of the Church's contributions for religious purposes is spent at home, while only two per cent. is applied to the foreign mission field. There are 75,000 ministers in the United States, or one to about every 600 persons, while only one is allotted to half a million in heathen lands. There are 1,500 counties in China without a single missionary.
—There are about 600 native newspapers in India, all of which, with the exception of about half a dozen, are bitterly opposed to Christianity. Societies are now being organized for the dissemination of the skeptical writings of England and America. An important society is in operation from Lahore, as a centre, while another has its headquarters in Benares. The pictures of the gods best known to the Hindu pantheon are even lithographed in Germany and England and sold in Calcutta! Native rajahs interest themselves in circulating Hindu tracts, and have adopted shrewd methods to carry on their work. The Rev. Mr. Craven says he knows of one rajah alone who is printing at his own expense 2,000,000 of Hindu tracts, and intends to distribute them at the large fairs of North India. The missionaries, however, keep close watch over these antagonistic forces. They too are enlarging their operations rapidly. But the churches and societies which they represent should adopt far more liberal measures to furnish the millions of natives to whom they are sent with sound Christian literature. The passion for reading has struck every part of India. The people will have books and newspapers. It is for the western Christian world to say what their fibre shall be.—Dr. Hurst, in Harper's Magazine.
—The Chinese Recorder gives the following statistics of Christian missions in China to Dec. 1, 1886:
| Number of societies |
37 |
| Total number of missionaries |
919 |
| Men |
446 |
| Wives |
316 |
| Single ladies |
157 |
| China inland mission (men) |
92 |
| Various Presbyterian societies (men) |
93 |
| Methodist societies |
70 |
| Congregationalist societies |
53 |
| Episcopalian societies |
39 |
| Americans |
164 |
| English |
230 |
| Other nationalities |
52 |
Of the single ladies nearly half are American. Others are not named.
—The China Inland Mission has 43 married and 129 unmarried missionaries. Including wives and 117 native workers, the entire force numbers over 300. They are asking for 100 more for this year. Their operations have been continued for years, and the hundred new men are called for by way of celebrating the majority of the society.
—The Japan Mission of the Presbyterian Board are asking for ten new men instead of a hundred, and the question is whether the Presbyterian Church is able and willing to grant their request. What will the synods, the presbyteries and the churches say to their petition?
—The Chinese Governor of the large island of Formosa in starting a college has chosen a missionary to inaugurate and organize the institution. Such a step would have been regarded as a miracle one generation ago.
EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS
VIII.-EDITORIAL NOTES ON CURRENT TOPICS.
A WORD TO OUR PATRONS.
Enterprises are nowadays so commonly started with supreme reference to pecuniary returns that it seems like an affectation of unselfishness to claim any other and higher motive in the wide circulation of this REVIEW. Nevertheless, the editors are conscious of no ulterior end but the arousing of the Church of God to a more vigorous prosecution of the missionary campaign. And in our effort we desire the warm, sympathetic co-operation of all our subscribers. We undertake the work with a deep persuasion that it is God's work laid upon us, and we care for no reward beyond the consciousness of His approval. We mean to make this REVIEW indispensable, if we can, to all who love the cause of Christ, and especially to all who wish to know the needs of a world-wide field and the progress of the Kingdom,
We wish to establish between the Church at home and the workers and warriors on the outposts a line of communication, which shall also be a line of supplies; to create and foster a living bond of active and intelligent sympathy; to know what is doing and needs to be done—what needs are met and what lack is felt; to mark progress and trace causes of defeat, to canvass methods and criticise defects, to prevent waste and relieve friction, to promote co-operation and allay antagonism, to stimulate giving and especially self-giving—such are some of the many glorious results we aim to further. The wider the circulation of the REVIEW the more rapid and widespread the success of our measures.
We want those whom God has blessed with means and a generous heart to put at our disposal a Fund for gratuitous distribution to those who cannot afford to pay for the REVIEW. For example, in this country and in England, there are some three thousand young men and women who have signified their desire and intent to go to the foreign field when their studies are completed, if the way shall open. Many of them are poor and self-dependent. Can any man or woman make a nobler appropriation than to put at our disposal such sum of money as may enable us to send the REVIEW to such young persons free for one year?
While at Rochester, two young persons came to one of the editors, who made an address there on Nov. 15, and said: "I have just read your book, 'The Crisis of Missions;' it has decided me to give myself to the foreign field." A similar scene occurred at Buffalo, next day, and at Alexandria, Va., a few weeks before. If some man or woman who cannot go himself, or herself, can, by the free distribution of such a missionary organ as this, make missionaries, what offering can be more acceptable to God? We are willing to be custodians of such benevolence and see that it is made just as powerful as it can be in furthering the work. And if there be any who cannot give, will they not at least pray that our work may prove to the churches the world over even a greater blessing than our hearts could dare to anticipate?
The fund is already started by a gift of $100 from the editors and $100 from the publishers, and a considerable addition will be made from arrears of subscriptions on THE MISSIONARY REVIEW, all of which Mr. Wilder put at the disposition of the editors. We want to raise $5,000 for this purpose.—P.
The recent meeting of the American Board at Springfield, Mass., was in many respects the most eventful one since its organization. It was generally felt that the meeting would be a battle-ground between the new theology, with its post-mortem probation, and the older, more conservative, and, we hesitate not to say, more Scriptural and evangelical position held by the Reformed churches for centuries. Happily, as we think, the issue of the battle was on the side of the old and not the new theology. The landmarks which the fathers set up will not be removed, and Dr. Storrs' manly and Christian letter, accepting the presidency of the Board—a letter too long to be reproduced in these columns—covers, to our view, the whole case.
In this letter of acceptance, he expresses the opinion that the question of the "new theology" is, for the present, practically settled, so far as the Board is concerned; and adds that a withholding of funds from the treasury, "if that should unhappily come to pass," would not change the convictions on which the decision was based. He frankly gives as his belief that it would be unsafe to allow the same latitude of opinion in the missionary field which local churches here occasionally allow, whether properly or not, to those who transiently minister to them. There is a loyal and royal ring in words like these: "This society exists for a purpose wide as the world, solemn as the Cross, connected with eternal issues. It is always responsible to the Lord of the Gospel for what its messengers proclaim in His name."
Dr. Noble of Chicago one year ago expressed on this subject, comprehensively and briefly, the practical bearings of the whole question. He said, in effect, that there are two ways which we may pursue: we may either spend our time and energy speculating as to whether mankind will have probation after death, or we may give ourselves to the endeavor to secure their acceptance of this great salvation in the present probation before death. "As for myself," he added, "I propose to give all my thought and powers to securing for men a present salvation." To all of which let all the people say Amen!—P.
In New Jersey, the week between November 13 and November 20 was kept as one of simultaneous meetings in the interests of Foreign Missions. The whole work was in the hands of five members of Synod, Rev. Dr. Augustus Brodhead, of Bridgeton, being Chairman. He lived long enough to make the arrangements and was then called up higher.
All-day conventions were arranged for in every one of the 219 towns in the State where there was a Presbyterian church. The convention was not held on the same day in every place, but some time within the week. Fifty-eight places were designated as centres, provided with special speakers at the evening meeting. The plan of the conventions was uniform: A morning prayer-meeting, followed by an open meeting for familiar conference as to the mission field, its work and workers; in the afternoon, separate meetings of ladies', young people's and Sunday-school societies and bands, and in the evening the main meeting, with at least two specially prepared addresses.
To our minds, this simultaneous meeting is one of the grandest plans ever adopted to arouse, concentrate and vitalize the interest in the great foreign Mission work. We hope to see the day when, throughout the whole land, simultaneous meetings shall be held, and, like the three annual feasts of the Jews, all the tribes go up to take part, bring offerings and carry back a new inspiration and blessing. The movement is timely, popular, grand, effective, and promises results far beyond our present calculation.—P.
MRS. WILDER, widow of the late editor of The Missionary Review, and Grace E. Wilder, the daughter, sailed for Kolapoor, Western India, on the 26th of Nov., under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. Miss Grace was born there, and the mother spent thirty years of her life there in missionary work in connection with her devoted husband. She had a school of 300 girls, at one time, and gave Christian education to a large number of the native women of India, who regard her in the light of a mother. Denied the privilege of going back to her work, after twelve years' absence, in company with her venerated husband, she, after his death, begged to be allowed to go back with her daughter and resume active work there, as a Bible reader, on her own charges. Her first love is still fresh and strong, and poor India, for whom she and her life companion sacrificed so much, is dearer to her than her native land, and even the sons whom she leaves behind. The daughter inherits a full measure of her parents' spirit, and, having rendered her father important help on The Missionary Review, and received rare training for the work, consecrates her life to the same blessed service. And one son, now in Union Seminary, New York, who has gone among our colleges lately and helped to kindle the missionary spirit among the students, will follow his aged mother and youthful sister as soon as his studies are completed.
What heroism have we here! The timid maiden and the solitary, aged widow, parting with children dear, the comforts of a good home and the dust of her loved one, and braving the winter storms of ocean, embarks joyfully for her long voyage, to carry once more the message of redeeming love to her sisters in India, and with trembling voice to repeat to the children the sacred lessons she taught in early life to their mothers!
The God of the widow and the Father of the fatherless preserve and speed them on their glorious mission and spare them to sow the seed of an abundant harvest! Just before his death the husband and father said to the writer: "I consider it a privilege and a joy inexpressibly great to have been permitted to spend forty-two years of my life in the service of Christian missions, and my one desire to-day is, now that you have kindly relieved me of this Review, to be spared to go back to India and lay my worn-out body to rest among the people there, whom I love. Yes, I would gladly start, even if sure I should not live to get there and my body find a grave in the deep."—S.
"THE day is breaking,
We are living, we are dwelling
In a grand and awful time!
In an age on ages telling;
To be living is sublime.
Hark! the waking up of nations—
Gog and Magog to the fray!
Hark! What soundeth? 'Tis creation's
Groaning for its latter day."
Yes, the time is hastening. God is rolling on the ages with awful sweep and force. He is crowding a whole century of opportunities into a day. He is bringing the world together, so that the Church may compass it, know it, traverse it, a hundred-fold quicker and better than in former generations. Competent engineering authorities assure us that in five years we shall be able to go round the world in forty days; and go in all the comfort and with all the security of our modern civilization! And are not such facts the voice of God, speaking out of the cloud to His people to go forward?—S.
WE beg our friends and patrons to be a little lenient in their judgment of this our first number. The call to the editors was sudden and unexpected. It found them both full of work, and yet they dared not decline what seemed a call of Providence. We have done what we could, at short notice, and with the material and help we could command; and yet we have not realized our ideal. We hope to improve as we get familiar with the work and gather in a vaster and more select amount of material. We expect also to enlist competent pens to aid us in the Literary department, ensuring greater variety and ability. We have also arranged for assistance in Statistical matters, and fuller information from our Editorial Correspondents. The editors are mainly responsible for this initial number.—S.
As it is pleasant to know whose thoughts one is reading, the following rule will be adopted: All editorials will have the initial of the writer. The names of other writers will be given in connection with their contributions. To Parts I., V. and VIII. both editors will contribute. Dr. Pierson will conduct Part VI., while his associate will be responsible for Parts II., III. and VII.
Through an oversight, Dr. Pierson was not credited, as he should have been, for Mr. Wilder's Biography, on pp. 7-16. An excellent likeness of Mr. Wilder will be found in the number.—S.